JACK 
HARKAWAYS 

ADVENTURES 

AT 

OXFORD 


BRACEBRIDGE 
HEMYNG 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA 
LOS  ANGELES 


JACK  HARKA WAY'S 

STRANGE  ADVENTURES 

AT  OXFORD. 


BEING  THE  CONCLUSION  OF 
"JACK   HARKAWAY  AT  OXFORD" 


R 

BRACEBRIDGE    HEMYNG 


CHICAGO: 
M.   A.    DONOHUE   &   CO. 


IVT.  A.    DONOH  UE  &.   COMPANY 


407.429    DEARBORN    STREET 
CHICAGO 


Pll 


JACK  HARFAWAY'S  STRANGE 

ADVENTURES  AT  OXFORD. 


A   VISIT   TO   THE    "VAGS." 

EVERYONE  at  Mr.  Hrlloway's  congratulated  Jack  upon 
his  narrow  escape. 

And  then  somebody  proposed  a  carpet  dance  which 
went  off  very  well,  though  Jack  after  a  quadrille  pleaded 
a  headache,  ard  went  and  pat  down  on  the  sofa. 

"You  look  gloomy,  dear  Jack,"  said  Emily.  "You 
have  been  working  too  hard.  I  must  get  Mr.  Travers  to 
let  me  call  for  you  in  the  carriage  and  take  you  out.  Why 
not  try  and  get  into  the  O.iford  football  eleven,  which  is 
going  to  play  Eton  on  their  own  ground  ?  That  will  be  a 
distraction." 

"I  will,  "answered  Jack.  "Tell  me  all  the  news,  Emmy. 
It  is  a  long  time  since  we  had  a  chat." 

"I  have  some  news  for  you,  "she  said  smiling,  "though 
it  is  a  sad  thing  for  Hilda." 

"What  has  happened ?  " 

"  The  Duke  of  Woodstock  is  dead." 

"  Dead  !  "  repeated  Jack,  in  astonishment. 

"Yes,  indeed.  He  was  with  his  yacht  in  the  Mediter- 
ranean, and  was  drowned  while  bathing.  His  widow 
is  handsomely  provided  for,  and  comes  home  in  a  few 
days  to  stay  at  her  father's. " 

'  She  will  not  be  sorry,  for  she  never  loved  him." 
'  No  ;  she  liked  you.     Don't  go  after  the  widow,  Jack," 
sa  d  Emily,  laughing. 

'  Is  it  likely  ?     Oh,  Emily,  how  can  you  say " 

'  Hush  !  "  interrupted  Emily  :  "it  was  only  nonsense. 
I  am  not  afraid  of  the  widow,  dear." 

The  next  day  the  party  broke  up.     Jack  and  Harvey 


6  fACK  HARK  A  WAY  AT  OXFORD. 

were  driven  to  Oxford  by  their  friend  Mr.  Holloway,  and 
Emily  returned  with  Mrs.  Travers  to  that  lady's  house. 

Jack  found  Sir  Sydney  installed  in  his  rooms. 

"Ah,  dear  boy,"  said  Sir  Sydney,  with  a  languid  air. 
"  Glad  to  see  you.  Making  myself  at  home." 

"So  I  perceive,"  answered  Jack. 

"  Fact  is,  I'm  getting  used  up,"  continued  Sir  Sydney. 
"I  wish  the  dons  would  send  me  down  for  a  year,  so  that 
I  might  recruit  in  the  country." 

"  Have  a  quiet  evening  with  me.     I'm  reading " 

"  For  goodness'  sake  don't  talk  about  reading,"  inter- 
rupted the  baronet ;  "I  hate  grinding,  and  never  was  a 
sap. " 

Turning  to  Monday,  he  added — 

"My  black  friend,  in  you  I  recognise  a  man  and  a 
brother.  Perform  the  Christian  operation  of  giving  me 
some  B.  in  my  S." 

Monday  poured  a  fresh  quantity  of  brandy  in  the  selt- 
zer. 

"I  am  better;  let  the  fact  be  written  in  gold,"  said 
Sir  Sydney.  ' '  I  say,  Harka way — redoubtable  athlete  that 
thou  art — strong  man,  tell  me  if  you  can  mr.ke  a  speech  ?  " 

"Why?" 

"  Because  to-night  you  must  come  with  me  to  the 
'Vags.'" 

"And  what  are  the  'Vags'?" 

"Allow  me  to  enlighten  your  darkness,"  replied  Sir 
Sydney.  ' '  The  '  Vags '  is  an  institution.  Certain  members 
of  the  university  are  disgusted  with  the  dry  nature  of  the 
debates  at  the  Union,  and  they  have  formed  an  anti-union 
society  or  discussion  club,  where  everybody  can  quarrel 
to  his  heart's  content." 

"  Oh,  it  is  a  debating  club  ?  "  said  Jack. 

' '  Exactly.  We  call  ourselves  the  '  Vagrants '  or  '  Vags. ' 
Our  President  is  your  worthy  friend,  Mr.  Mole,  to  whose 
genius  we  owe  the  origin  of  the  society." 

"  Is  Mole  one  of  you  ? " 

"Did  I  not  say  so?" 

"I  thought  he  was  living  in  the  country  with  his  wife 
and  children." 

"So  he  is,  but  that  does  not  prevent  him  feeling  bored, 
like  many  other  married  men,  and  wishing  to  spend  his 
evenings  abroad." 


JA  CK  HARK  A  WAY  AT  OXFORD.  J 

At  this  moment  Mr.  Mole  entered  the  room,  rather  un- 
steady in  his  gait,  and  looking  as  if  he  had  again  given 
way  to  drinking. 

"Glad  to  see  you,  sir,"  said  Harkaway.  "Take  a 
chair." 

"I  will  take  two,"  replied  Mr.  Mole,  sitting  down  on 
one  and  putting  his  legs  on  another:  "the  cold  weather 
fatigues  me.  Have  you  any  of  that  alcoholic  stimulant 
called  brandy  ?  " 

''Certainly.  Monday,  attend  to  Mr.  Mole.  How's 
your  wife,  sir  ?  " 

"Awful,  Harkaway,"  replied  Mr.  Mole;  "as  I  am  a 
Christian  gentleman,  a  scholar,  and  a  man  of  education, 
I  declare  she  is  beyond  endurance." 

"And  the  blessed  infants,  sir?  " 

"  Name  them  not.  If  ever  there  were  imps  of  darkness 
sent  into  the  world  to  plague  an  unfortunate  individual — 
but  I  will  say  no  more,"  replied  Mr.  Mole  with  a  groan. 

"Don't  mind  Dawson,  sir.  He's  nobody — tell  us  all 
about  it." 

"Why  should  I  ?  Look  at  my  expressive  countenance, 
my  grief- worn  face,  my  locks  already  tinged  with  grey — 
do  they  not  tell  a  tale?  Were  it  not  for  the  pursuits  oi 
science,  I  should  seek  the  dismal  doom  of  the  demented 
suicide." 

"What  is  this  scientific  affair  you  have  in  hand,  sir? 
Lots  of  fellows  have  been  talking  about  it." 

"Time  will  show,"  answered  Mr.  Mole.  "Yes,  time 
will  show,  and  '  Up  in  a  balloon  boys,'  will  be  my  motto. 
I  long  for  the  wings  of  a  dove,  so  that  I  might  fly  away 
and  be  at  rest." 

"A  nice  sort  of  dove  you'll  be,"  said  Sir  Sydney,  "  if 
you  go  away,  and  leave  your  children  chargeable  to  the 
parish." 

"  When  I,address  my  remarks  to  you,  sir,"  answered  Mr. 
Mole.  "I  should  feel  grateful  for  your  opinion,  but  not 
before. " 

"  Sorry  I  spoke,"  said  Sir  Sydney,  throwing  away  the 
stump  of  his  cigar. 

"You  come  down  to  my  little  club,"  continued  Mr. 
Mole  angrily,  "the  club  that  I  have  founded,  and  do  all 
in  your  power  to  create  a  disturbance.  To-night,  sir, 
I  shall  move  that  you  be  formally  expelled." 


8  JACK  HARKA  WAY  AT  OXFORD. 

"  Who's  going  to  do  it  ?  "  asked  the  baronet 

"That  will  be  only  a  detail  When  I  have  the  author- 
ity of  the  club  for  your  expulsion,  rest  assured  you  will 
not  be  long  a  'Vagrant'  " 

"  Now  don't  be  unkind,  Mole,"  said  Sir  Sydney.  "I 
never  saw  such  a  fellow  to  cut  up  rough.  Here  am  I,  the 
life  and  soul  of  your  meeting,  and  you  want  to  kick  me 
out  Have  you  got  any  one  who  can  do  a  cat-call  as  well 
as  I  can  ?  " 

"That's  just  it" 

"Or  bark  like  a  dog,  with  a  yelp  equal  to  mine?" 

"That's  what  I  complain  of." 

"  Or  bellow  like  a  bull  like  unto  this  child?  "  continued 
Sir  Sydney.  "If  you  aren't  sociable,  I  shall  get  up  an 
opposition  to  you.  The  '  Vagrants  '  meet  at  the  '  Mitre  ; ' 
Twill  take  a  room  at  the  'Randolph,'  and  start  the 
1  Broken-hearted  Club.' " 

"  What  will  that  be  like  ?  "  asked  Jack. 

"  Rule  I.  shall  run  as  follows  :  Any  one  who  laughs, 
smiles,  or  looks  in  any  way  happy,  shall  be  fined  half-a- 
crown. " 

' '  I  should  be  eligible  for  election  in  that  Club, "  re- 
marked Mr.  Mole. 

A  glance  at  his  sorrowful  countenance  made  the  young 
men  laugh. 

"You  ought  to  be  constituted  a  life-member  at  once, 
sir,"  said  Jack. 

"  Rule  II.,"  continued  Sir  Sydney,  "shall  enact  that  a 
man  who  cannot  do  the  briny,  id  est,  shed  a  tear  when 
called  upon  by  the  president,  shall  be  kicked  till  he 
does.  By  Rule  III.  every  member  shall  belong  to  a  burial 
club,  and  have  a  ready-made  coffin  under  his  bed." 

"I  say,"  cried  Jack,  "  you  are  enough  to  frighten  any- 
one. Talk  about  something  more  lively." 

Sir  Sydney,  however,  was  full  of  his  new  idea,  the 
"  Broken-hearted  Club,"  and  went  to  his  rooms  to  draw  up 
a  prospectus  and  rules,  declaring  that  he  would  start  it, 
and  that  it  should  become  one  of  the  institutions  of  the 
college. 

Mr.  Mole  dined  with  Jack,  and  told  him  confidentially 
how  miserable  he  was  with  Ambonia,  whose  temper  was 
worse  than  ever.  "  Look  here,"  said  I'.Iclj,  putting  his 
hand  to  his  head. 


JACK  HARKA  WAY  AT  OXFORD.  9 

Jack  saw  nothing  but  a  bare,  closely-cropped  surface, 
like  that  of  a  man  recovered  from  a  severe  fever. 

"  I've  had  my  head  shaved  and  wear  a  wig,  because  she 
used  to  pull  the  hair  out  by  handfuls,  Harkaway,"  said 
Mr.  Mole,  putting  back  the  wig.  ' '  Do  you  wonder  I  am 
spending  part  of  my  modest  fortune  in  building  a  balloon 
to  explore  unknown  continents  ?  " 

Jack's  candid  opinion  was  that  Mr.  Mole  was  going  mad 
as  fast  as  he  could. 

But  he  did  not  say  so. 

In  the  evening  they  went  to  the  "Mitre,"  and  found 
most  of  the  members  of  the  Vagrant  Club  assembled  in  a 
large  room. 
.  Mr.  Mole  took  the  chair. 

"Sit  near  me,  Harkaway,"  said  Sir  Sydney,  pulling  his 
gown.  "  I'm  going  in  for  a  row  to-night." 

Jack  sat  down,  and  the  secretary  rose. 

"  If  any  member  is  in  arrears  with  his  subscriptions," 
he  said,  "he'd  better  pay  up  sharp." 

A  few  half-crowns  were  tendered,  and  Mr.  Mole  got  on 
his  legs. 

"The  question  for  debate  this  evening,  gentlemen,"  he 
said,  "is  that  in  the  opinion  of  the  house,  the  proctor 
should  be  accompanied  by  a  man  beating  a  drum,  so  that 
notice  of  their  approach  might  be  given  to  the  unwary 
undergraduates  and  others.  It  is  proposed  by  Mr.  Car- 
den,  and  seconded  by  Mr.  Harvey." 

Tom  Garden  rose,  and  said — 

"Gentlemen  !  " 

"Order  !  "  cried  Sir  Sydney.  "  We  have  not  sung  the 
vagrant  anthem." 

"Quite  right,"  replied  Mr.  Mole.  "I  omitted  it. 
Brother  vagrants,  follow  my  lead,  if  you  please." 

The  anthem  was  then  sung. 

It  ran  as  follows — 

" I'm  a  vagrant ;  thou'rt  a  vagrant;  vagrants  too  are 
he  and  she.  We  are  vagrants  ;  they  are  vagrants  ;  where 
are  they  who  would  not  be? " 

This  was  received  with  great  applause,  and  Garden  con- 
tinued— 

"The  abuse  of  proctorial  power  in  this  ancient  seat  of 
learning  has " 

"A  lot  you've  learnt,"  said  a  voice. 


10  JACK  HARK  A  WAY  AT  OXFORD. 

"Has,  I  repeat,  led  to  the  most  disastrous  results." 

"  When  were  you  gated  last  ? "  cried  the  voice. 

The  president  rose  to  order. 

"Really,  gentlemen,  I  must  pray  for  silence,"  he  said. 

"Shut  up.  You're  a  duffer.  Go  home  to  your  wife  !  " 
cried  Sir  Sydney. 

"I  will  maintain  order!"  shouted  Mr.  Mole,  whose 
voice  trembled  with  passion.  "  When  I  accepted  this 
high  office,  I  swore " 

' '  You'd  swear  black  was  white,  only  you  wouldn't  be- 
lieve it  when  you  got  home,"  answered  Jack,  in  a  dis- 
guised voice. 

This  allusion  to  Ambonia  caused  Mr.  Mole  to  grow  more 
furious. 

"  Turn  him  out !  "  said  the  vagrants. 

"Who  is  the  culprit?"  asked  the  president  "This 
can  not  go  on." 

Jack  saw  Kemp  in  a  corner,  and  imitating  his  voice, 
said — 

"It  was  I,  Mr.  President." 

"Apologise,"  replied  Mr.  Mole,  "  and  we  will  pass  it 
over.  Mr.  Kemp  will  apologise." 

"What  do  you  mean?"  asked  Kemp.  "I  never 
spoke." 

"Silence  for  the  chair,"  continued  Mr.  Mole.  "I  appeal 
to  you  as  gentlemen  to  respect  the  president" 

"You're  an  old  humbug.  It's  my  belief  you're  tight," 
Jack  made  Kemp  say. 

Mr.  Mole  descended  from  his  chair,  and  approached 
Kemp. 

"  Did  you  say  I  was  disguised  in  liquor?  "  he  asked. 

"  I  did  not  say  anything,"  replied  Kemp  ;  "  but  I  will 
say  now  that  you're  all  a  lot  of  lunatics,  and  I'm  sorry 
I  joined  your  rotten  club.  However,  you  won't  see  me 
again." 

"Bonnet  him,"  replied  Sir  Sydney. 

Mr.  Mole,  in  an  evil  moment  for  himself,  acted  upon 
this  advice,  and  smashed  Kemp's  hat,  which  he  had  just 
put  on,  heavily  over  his  eyes. 

He  had  been  out  skating  all  day  in  the  country,  and 
had  not  had  time  to  put  on  his  academical  costume. 

Kemp  hit  out,  and  Mr.  Mole  rolled  over. 

"Row!  row  !"  cried  Sir  Sydney,  pushing  against  the 


JA  CK  HARKA  WAY  AT  OXFORD.  i  i 

members,    who    had    crowded   round   the    combatants. 
"Back  me  up,  Jack,"  he  added. 

Their  united  weights  caused  several  men  to  fall  against 
Mr.  Mole,  and  they  were  soon  struggling  in  a  heap. 

Kemp  got  his  hat  off,  and  made  a  rush  through  the  mob. 
kicking  and  hitting  right  and  left. 

Jack  got  a  blow  on  the  chest  and  did  not  like  it. 

"  What  did  you  hit  me  for?  "  he  asked. 

"  You  must  take  your  chance  with  the  rest,"  replied 
Kemp.  "There  would  have  been  no  row  if  you  and 
Dawson  had  not  got  it  up." 

"  I  never  like  to  receive  a  favour  without  returning  it,'* 
said  Jack;  "so  there  is  your  punch  back  again  and 
another  to  keep  it  company,  by  way  of  interest." 

The  first  blow  closed  one  eye. 

The  second  dislodged  a  tooth,  which  stuck  in  his  throat. 

Kemp  grew  black  in  the  face — seemed  in  imminent 
danger  of  choking. 

Sir  Sydney  Dawson  was  behind  him,  and  Jack  said — 

"  Hit  him  on  the  back  ;  he's  swallowed  a  tooth." 

"  Won't  a  kick  do  as  well  ? "  replied  Sir  Sydney.  "  He's 
one  of  the  black-leg  lot." 

And  he  proceeded  to  kick  him  vigorously  behind. 

The  process  was  not  pleasant ;  but  it  did  good,  and  the 
tooth  went  down. 

Directly  Kemp  could  breathe,  he  uttered  a  growl  like  a 
wild  beast 

Springing  on  a  chair,  he  turned  the  gas  out 

The  scene  now  became  one  of  indescribable  con- 
fusion. 

Mr.  Mole's  voice  was  heard  saying — 

"Gentlemen,  brother  vagrants,  I  am  deprived  of  every 
breath  in  my  body.  Oh  !  get  up  !  Oh  !  oh  !  somebody 
has  put  his  confounded  boot  in  the  pit  of  my — oh  ! — 
stomach." 

"Go  it  one  !  Go  it  t'other  !  "  said  Sir  Sydney,  delighted 
at  the  riot  he  had  created. 

Suddenly  a  violent  blow  descended  on  his  nose. 

A  hissing  voice  whispered — 

"  Take  that,  Mr.  Harkaway,  and  remember  that  Kemp 
is  more  your  enemy  than  ever,  now." 

"Deuce  take  you!"  replied  Sir  Sydney,  sneezing. 
"  I'm  not  Harkaway." 


JACK  HARK  A  WAY  AT  OXFORD. 

'  Beg  your  pardon  ;  I've  made  a  mistake  in  the  dark," 
sa  d  Kemp. 

'  Don't  do  it  again,  that's  all.     My  nose  is  all  pulpy." 
I've  lost  a  tooth." 

'  You  can  buy  a  false  one,  but  I  can't  get  a  mirnic 
nose.  Fancy  a  man  with  a  false  nasal  organ.  Blow  it 
— you,  I  mean,  not  the  nose.  I  can't  stand  it.  Take 
that." 

Kemp  moved  away,  and  in  the  darkness  Sir  Sydney  hit 
out  at  somebody  else. 

"Who  the  dickens  is  knocking  at  my  door?"  said  the 
voice  of  Tom  Garden.  "Drop  it,  some  of  you." 

"Dash  my  wig,  Garden!  I  didn't  mean  to  hit  you," 
answered  Sir  Sydney. 

"  I  don't  care  twopence  who  you  meant  to  hit.  Take 
it  back  again. " 

This  time  Garden  struck  out  but  Sir  Sydney  ducked  his 
head,  and  Harvey,  who  was  close  by,  received  the  blow 
under  his  ear. 

"Stash  it !  "  he  cried.  "  I've  done  nothing  to  anyone. 
Props  under  the  ear  are  not  nice." 

"  Whom  have  I  hit  ?  "  asked  Garden. 

"  Harvey." 

"My  dear  fellow,  I  apologise.     Bother  the  darkness  !" 

"Hang  your  apology!"  said  Harvey,  angrily,  "If 
you  were  as  big  as  the  house,  I'd  have  a  go  at  you. 
miudjyour  ear  this  time." 

He  threw  out  his  left,  and  withdrew  it  with  a  cry  of 
pain. 

Missing  Garden,  he  had  struck  the  president's  desk,  and 
found  that  wood  was  harder  than  heads. 

Jack  meanwhile  got  on  a  table,  and  feeling  for  the 
chandelier,  struck  a  fusee,  and  relighted  the  gas. 

Mr.  Mole  was  leaning  against  the  wall,  gasping  and 
rubbing  his  stomach. 

Sir  Sydney  had  a  pocket  handkerchief  applied  to  his 
bleeding  nose. 

Harvey  was  holding  his  hand  to  his  ear. 

Garden  occupied  himself  in  shutting  one  eye  and  trying 
to  find  out  if  he  could  see  with  the  other. 

Kemp  had  vanished,  and  the  open  door  certified  to  his 
exit 


JA  CK  HARK  A  WAY  AT  OXFORD.  13 


CHAPTER   XLVIIL 

A  NIGHT   OF    ADVENTURE. 

AFTER  the  unseemly  scene  which  had  occurred  at  the 
"  Vags,"  the  meeting  could  not  continue. 

Mr.  Mole  regretted  deeply  the  unfortunate  turn  affairs 
had  taken. 

He  dissolved  the  meeting,  and  those  who  remained  in 
che  room  solaced  themselves  with  pipes  and  beer. 

Harvey  and  Jack  returned  to  St.  Aldate's,  laughing 
heartily  at  the  comical  comedy  of  errors  which  had  taken 
place. 

"  Have  a  game  at  chess,  Dick?  "  said  Jack. 

"All  right,"  replied  Harvey. 

They  proceeded  to  play,  and  Jack  happened  to  mention 
that  the  Duke  of  Woodstock  was  dead. 

" Really  !  "  cried  Harvey.      "Then  Hilda  is  a  widow ? " 

"Of  course.     Check  to  your  king." 

"I  always  liked  that  girl,"  answered  Harvey,  getting 
out  of  check,  "and  I  envied  that  fool  Woodstock  when 
he  married  her." 

"  Did  you  ?  She  is  a  nice  girl,  and  her  governor  is  aw- 
fully rich.  Why  don't  you  go  in  for  the  widow,  Dick  ?  " 

"The  duchess  wouldn't  look  at  a  poor  fellow  like  me," 
said  Harvey. 

"Check  again.  How  careless  you  are.  You  must 
move  your  bishop  to  cover  your  king,  and  I  take  your 
queen,"  said  Jack. 

"Do  you  really  think  I  should  have  any  chance  in  that 
quarter  ?  "  asked  Harvey,  after  a  pause. 

"Why  not?" 

"I  wouldn't  marry  any  girl  I  did  not  like  for  her  money ; 
but  I  have  always  thought  I  could  love  Hilda,  and  I  don't 
mind  telling  you,  Jack,  that  I  have  loved  her  and  do  love 
her  now. " 

"You  don't  object  to  widows  ?  " 

"  Rather  like  them  in  this  particular  instance,"  replied 
Harvey. 

"Check,  "said  Jack. 


I4  JACK  HARK  A  WAY  AT  OXFORD. 

"By  Jove!  that's  mate,"  exclaimed  Harvey,  after  a 
glance  at  the  board. 

"You  are  thinking  of  Hilda  to-night,  and  can't  play." 

"So  I  am.  It  would  be  a  fine  thing  for  me  to  marry 
Hilda.  I  have  nothing  but  hard  work  before  me,  Jack  ; 
not  that  I'm  afraid  of  it,  you  know ;  but  I  am  only  up 
here  through  the  kindness  of  your  father,  and  there  are  a 
lot  of  us  at  home.  It  is  as  much  as  the  dear  old  governor 
can  do  to  get  along  on  his  screw  in  the  City." 

"  Have  a  try  for  it,  Dick,"  said  Jack.  "Do  you  mind 
going  up  the  Corn  Market  to-night  ?  " 

"What  for?" 

"  With  a  letter  of  condolence  from  me  to  old  Manasses. 
You  can  ask  when  the  fair  Hilda  is  expected  home." 

"All  right;  give  me  the  letter,  and  I'll  go,"  replied 
Harvey. 

While  Jack  was  writing  a  note  to  Moses  Manasses, 
commiserating  him  on  the  loss  of  his  son-in-law,  and  hop- 
ing that  his  daughter  bore  her  affliction  bravely,  some 
other  characters  in  our  story  were  taking  sweet  counsel 
together. 

These  were  Kemp  and  Hunston. 

Kemp,  on  leaving  the  "  Vags,"  had  gone  to  a  chemist's 
to  wash  his  mouth  out  with  alum,  and  have  his  eye  painted, 
so  as  to  avoid  blackness  if  possible. 

Then  he  wended  his  way  to  a  low  public-house  in  the 
city,  and  going  into  the  tap-room,  found  Hunston  waiting 
for  him  in  a  secluded  corner. 

There  were  only  three  other  occupants  of  the  room, 
and  they  were  smoking  long  pipes,  drinking  beer,  and 
talking  politics  in  the  loud,  defiant  quarrelsome  tone 
which  always  characterises  the  political  discussions  of 
tap-room  orators. 

Consequently  the  two  friends  were  quite  at  their  ease, 
for  there  was  no  danger  of  their  being  overheard 

"  You've  kept  me  waiting  long  enough,"  growled  Hun- 
ston, looking  at  a  greasy  clock  on  the  mantelpiece. 

"  I  couldn't  help  it,"  replied  Kemp.  "  I  went  to  a  club 
called  the  'Vags'  for  half  an  hour,  because  I  want  to  keep 
in  with  Harkaway  and  his  set,  if  I  can." 

' '  What's  happened  ?  You're  hat's  smashed,  you're  lip's 
swollen,  and  you've  got  a  mou^e  on  your  left  peeper. 
Has  there  been  a  row  ?  " 


JA  CK  HARKA  WA  Y  AT  OXFORD.  1 5 

"  It's  all  that  infernal  Harkaway ;  he  got  up  a  riot,  and  I 
got  punched.  Look  here;  one  of  my  top  teeth  is  gone." 

"Where?" 

' '  I  swallowed  it.  Harkaway  knocked  it  into  my  throat, 
and  while  I  was  half-choking,  somebody  kindly  kicked  me 
till  it  went  down.  But  don't  talk  about  it.  The  thing  only 
riles  me,  and  I'll  be  even  with  him  before  I've  done." 

"  He's  haunted  ;  let  him  alone,"  said  Hunston,  with  a 
laugh. 

"And  he  looks  beastly  bad  over  it,"  replied  Kemp. 
"What  a  lark  !  " 

"It  was  touch-and-go  the  ghost  didn't  drown  him  the 
other  night  at  Mr.  Holloway's." 

"  What  a  fellow  you  are  to  chatter,"  exclaimed  Kemp, 
angrily.  "Haven't  I  told  you  a  dozen  times  never  to 
talk  unnecessarily." 

"  Well,  let's  get  to  the  business  in  hand.  Are  you  up  to 
the  mark  ? " 

" Bang  up.  Slap  bang  up,"  answered  Kemp,  "and  no 
nonsense  about  it.  I'm  in  debt  up  to  my  neck  everywhere, 
I  owe  money  to  tradesmen,  who  are  dunning  my  life  out 
of  me,  and  I  owe  a  lot  to  bill-discounters  and  betting-men, 
who  threaten  to  have  me  up  before  the  Vice-Chancellor 
or  make  me  a  bankrupt  in  London." 

"You're  like  me,"  replied  Hunston.  "I  want  coin, 
and  mean  to  have  it  whether  you  join  me  or  not." 

"  Do  you  think  we  shall  have  much  plunder?  " 

"Shall  we  have  a  lot  of  swag?  Of  course  we  shall. 
The  old  fool  keeps  a  heap  of  money  in  the  house  ?  " 

"Are  you  sure?  "- 

"When  I  used  to  go  to  his  house  with  you  and  Davis, 
do  you  think  I  kept  my  eyes  shut?  Not  much.  I  was 
wide-awake.  I  know  where  the  safe  is,  and  where  he 
keeps  his  loose  cash." 

"Is  he  a  miser?" 

"Not  exactly;  but  he's  just  fond  enough  of  money  to 
like  to  have  a  lot  about  him,  and  not  send  it  all  to  the  bank. 
I  will  bet  you,"  said  Hunston,  "that  he  has  got  a  couple 
of  thousand  at  his  place." 

"  That  will  be  one  apiece,"  said  Kemp,  reflectively. 

"  Is  that  enough  for  you  ?  " 

"Just  about  enough,  and  that's  all." 

"You  can  have  some  of  mine.     I  don't  want  so  much 


1 6  JACK  HARK  A  WAY  AT  OXFORD. 

as  you,"  replied  Hunston.  "And  now  the  thing  is  ar- 
ranged, I  suppose  we  stop  here  till  they  shut  up,  and  then 
get  in  at  the  back  of  the  old  fellow's  premises." 

"  Yes,  what  will  you  drink  ?  " 

"  Brandy.  That's  my  liquor.  I  want  a  stimulant,  and 
mustn't  mix  my  drinks,"  replied  Hunston. 

When  their  wants  were  supplied,  Kemp  said  reflec- 
tively— 

"I  wish  we  could  fix  the  robbery  upon  Harkaway  in 
some  manner.  Couldn't  we  put  some  jewellery  in  his 
rooms,  stolen  from  the  house,  and  send  the  police  to 
search  ? " 

"  We  will  think  the  matter  over,"  replied  Hunston. 

"  Have  you  got  the  masks  ?  " 

"Yes,  black  ones,  and  some  tools  to  get  in  with.  I 
have  forgotten  nothing." 

In  this  sort  of  conversation  they  passed  the  remainder 
of  the  evening,  waiting  for  midnight,  at  which  lone  hour 
they  reckoned  the  house  they  intended  to  rob  would  be 
quiet,  and  they  could  pursue  their  rascally  purpose  with- 
out interruption. 

Meanwhile  Harvey  had  gone  with  Jack's  letter  of  con- 
dolence to  Moses  Manasses'  house,  and  was  admitted  by 
a  neat-looking  little  servant,  who,  recognising  Harvey  as 
a  friend  of  the  family,  said  with  a  smile — 

"  I'm  glad  you  came  to-night,  sir." 

"How  is  that,  Rachel?"  he  asked. 

"  Because  the  duchess  returned  home  this  morning 
rather  unexpectedly.  We  knew  she  was  coming,  but  we 
didn't  think  to  see  her  for  a  day  or  two." 

Harvey's  heart  began  to  beat  quickly. 

He  was  ushered  into  the  drawing-room  where  the  Jew 
and  his  daughter  were  alone  together. 

"Welcome,  Mr.  Harvey,"  said  Manasses.  "  My  poor 
house  has  not  lately  been  honoured  by  your  presence." 

"I,  too,  may  be  permitted  to  join  my  father  in  an  ex- 
pression of  pleasure  at  seeing  you,  who  are  indeed  an 
old  friend,"  exclaimed  Hilda. 

"You  are  very  good,"  replied  Harvey.  "I  came  up 
to-night  with  a  letter  from  Harkaway,  saying  how  sorry 
he  was  to  hear  of  your  recent  loss.  In  deed  we  are  all 
deeply  grieved." 

"You  have  heard  of  U?" 


JA  CK  HARK  A  WAY  AT  OXFORD.  1 7 

"Yes,  from  Emily.     She  had  a  note  from  you." 

"  It  was  very  sudden,"  said  Hilda.  "  Poor  Woodstock 
was  bathing  in  the  Mediterranean,  and  being  seized  with 
cramp,  sank  instantly.  My  married  life  was  a  very  short 
one.  Scarcely  what  is  called  the  honeymoon  over,  when 
I  found  myself  a  widow.  " 

"  In  the  full  possession  of  all  your  matchless  charms," 
said  Harvey. 

Hilda  looked  curiously  at  him,  and  with  a  woman's 
quickness  of  perception,  so  read  his  expression  as  to  let 
her  eyelids  drop  suddenly. 

Up  to  the  present  time  she  had  never  suspected  that  she 
excited  anything  more  than  a  friendly  interest  in  him. 

But  this  was  not  the  time  to  think  or  speak  of  love. 

She  was  in  mourning  for  her  husband,  and  during  the 
.emainder  of  the  evening  she  returned  his  gaze  coldly 
(whenever  their  eyes  met. 

"  Hilda  is  telling  me  all  about  her  adventures  in  foreign 
lands,"  said  the  Jew.  "I  have  not  seen  her  since  the  il- 
lustrious alliance  she  contracted,  and  if  the  details  will 
not  be  unpleasant  to  you,  Mr.  Harvey  I  shall  be  glad  if 
you  will  spend  what  is  left  of  the  evening  with  us." 

"Delighted,  I'm  sure,"  answered  Harvey. 

"You  speak  of  my  grand  marriage,"  said  Hilda. 
"Grandeur  does  not  bring  happiness." 

"Your  title,  however,  introduced  you  into  the  best 
society." 

"  What  of  that  ?  It  is  true  that  I  have  dined  with  kings 
and  queens,  and  that  my  dresses  and  jewellery  excelled 
those  of  the  most  exalted  station  at  court,  but  I  was  not 
happy." 

"Incredible!"  exclaimed  the  Jew,  joining  his  hands 
together.  "  Father  Abraham  !  is  it  possible  that  I  have  a 
child  whose  soul  is  above  the  vanities  of  life  ? " 

"I  assure  you,  father,"  replied  Hilda,  "that  I  am  more 
at  my  ease  in  this  dear  old  familiar  room,  with  you  by 
my  side,  and  Mr.  Harvey  with  us,  than- 1  was  when  the 
duke  and  I  were  the  guests  of  the  King  and  Queen  of 
Greece,  and  all  Athens  gave  fetes  in  our  honour." 

"  V<AU  make  my  heart  rejoice,  child.  I  thought  your 
prosperity  would  make  you  ashamed  of  your  parentage, 
and  despise  your  father." 

"Never!  I  shall  not  use  my  title.  To  every  one, 
I 


Ag  JACK  HARK  A  WAY  AT  OXFORD. 

whether  at  home  or  travelling,  I  shall  be  plain  Mrs. 
Woodstock." 

"Then  shall  my  old  age  glide  pleasantly  to  the  grave, 
and  no  pang  shall  rend  my  heart  when  I  am  gathered  to 
my  fathers,"  said  the  Jew. 

He  raised  his  eyes  thankfully  to  Heaven,  and  his  lips 
moved  as  with  a  pious  offering. 

"Thanks  be  to  the  Lord  of  Israel,  "he  continued.  "  My 
heart  is  in  thee,  Hilda.  Come  hither,  child,  and  let  me 
kiss  thy  brow.  Of  a  verity  thou  art  cast  in  the  mould  of 
thy  sainted  mother." 

Little  did  the  aged  Jew  know,  as  he  pressed  his  child  to 
his  heart,  that  the  Fates  were  busily  engaged  in  cutting 
the  thread  of  his  life. 

Far  was  he  from  thinking  that  the  weird  sisters  were 
gazing  upon  the  glass  of  life,  from  which  the  sand  had 
almost  run  out. 

Midnight  clanged  from  more  than  one  clock  in  the  city. 

"So  late?"  said  the  Jew  ;    "and  the  bottle  is  empty." 

"  No  more  for  me,"  replied  Harvey,  "many  thanks  all 
the  same." 

"Nay,"  continued  the  old  man,  "I  will  have  my  own 
way  for  once.  We  do  not  have  a  child  restored  to  us 
every  day.  In  my  cellar  there  is  some  Lachrymae  Christi 
that  the  dean  of  St.  Aldate's  would  give  a  ten-pound  note 
for.  To-night  shall  see  us  taste  it." 

"  Let  me  go,  father,"  said  Hilda. 

"  No  ;  stay  you  here,  child.  My  legs  are  not  so  old, 
nor  my  hands  so  palsied  that  I  cannot  go  an  errand  like 
this  as  as  well  the  best  of  you." 

So  saying,  the  Jew  took  up  a  hand  lamp,  jingled  his 
keys,  and  departed  for  the  famous  Lachrymae  Christi, 
which  was  in  the  cellar  on  the  kitchen  floor. 

He  had  not  been  gone  long  when  Hilda  held  up  her 
finger. 

"  Hush  !  "  she  exclaimed. 

"What  is  it  ?  "  asked  Harvey. 

"Did  you  not  hear  a  noise ?  " 

Harvey  listened  attentively,  and  was  soon  satisfied  that 
Hilda  was  right. 


J A  CK  HARK  A  WAY  AT  OXFORD.  19 

CHAPTER  XLIX. 

ROBBERY     AND     MURDER. 

"THERE  are  men  in  the  house,"  continued  Hilda, 
nervously. 

"  I  fancy  I  can  hear  footsteps,"  answered  Harvey. 

"  Yes,  yes  ;  they  have  entered  the  house  from  the  back. 
They  are  descending  from  my  father's  bedroom,  where  he 
always  keeps  large  sums." 

"  Do  you  think  they  are  robbers  ? " 

"I  cannot  tell ;  but  I  have  often  feared  my  father's  fatal 
•fondness  for  keeping  money  in  the  house  would  tempt 
thieves." 

"  I  wish  I  had  a  pistol,"  said  Harvey. 

"  Never  mind  that ;  take  the  poker  ;  run  after  my  father. 
Save  him  ;  oh,  save  him,  Mr.  Harvey.  They  will  meet 
him  on  the  stairs.  Run,  run  !  " 

Harvey  did  not  hesitate  any  longer. 

Snatching  up  the  poker,  he  ran  into  the  passage. 

Already  he  heard  the  sound  of  a  scuffle  on  the  stairs. 

This  was  followed  by  the  smashing  of  glass. 

It  was  the  fall  of  the  bottle  of  famous  old  wine  which  was 
destined  never  to  be  opened  and  drunk. 

By  the  light  of  the  hall  lamp  he  saw  the  Jew  struggling 
with  the  men,  who  wore  black  masks. 

"  Help,  help  !"  cried  the  Jew,  in  accents  which  grew 
weaker  and  weaker.  "Oh,  holy  Moses!  that  I  should 
die  like  this." 

In  an  instant  Harvey  was  on  top  of  the  stairs  and 
had  dealt  one  of  the  robbers  a  severe  blow  on  the  arm. 

The  fellow  turned,  and,  drawing  a  long,  dangerous- 
looking  knife,  plunged  it  into  Harvey's  body. 

With  a  groan  the  unhappy  young  man  sank  upon  the 
floor. 

He  was  bathed  in  his  own  blood. 

Almost  at  the  same  moment  the  Jew  fell  mortally 
wounded. 

"Hilda — my  child,  my  child!  The  God  of  Isa-ac 
b-bless — -— "  he  murmured. 


20  JA  CK  HARK  A  WAY  AT  OXFORD. 

His  voice  failed  him. 

He  was  dead. 

"This  way  quick,"  cried  one  of  the  robbers.  "They 
are  both  settled.  We  must  step  it.  This  is  a  hanging 
business." 

' '  Come  on.  You  are  always  so  ready  with  that  infernal 
knife  of  yours,"  replied  the  other. 

"  Why  not?  It  is  a  habit  I  learnt  abroad,"  replied  the 
first  speaker,  replacing  his  Malay  knife  in  his  belt 

Rapidly  making  their  way  to  a  window,  they  passed 
through  it,  reached  the  ground,  and  escaped. 

Scarcely  had  they  gone  when  Hilda  came  upon  the 
scene,  and  sank  down  first  of  all  beside  the  body  of 
Harvey. 

He  still  breathed. 

She  next  examined  her  father. 

His  heart  had  ceased  to  beat,  and  his  body  was  gashed 
with  several  wounds. 

It  was  with  difficulty  the  wretched  girl  preserved  he* 
senses,  as,  with  tottering  steps,  she  rushed  into  the  street, 
flinging  open  wide  the  front  door. 

A  policeman  was  passing. 

"Help!"  she  cried.  "There  has  been  murder  com- 
mitted here. " 

"Murder,  miss  !  "  repeated  the  constable. 

"Oh,  yes.     Go  inside  while  I  run  for  the  doctor." 

The  policeman  did  as  he  was  requested,  and  Hilda 
went  to  a  doctor  who  lived  hard  by,  and  who  was  roused 
by  her  furious  knocking. 

"Come  at  once  to  my  father's  house,"  she  said.  "1 
fear  he  is  dead  and  that  a  young  Oxford  gentleman  is 
dying.  Oh,  for  Heaven's  sake  !  make  haste." 

The  doctor  did  not  wait  to  ask  any  questions. 

He  knew  that  in  desperate  cases  a  lost  minute  may  cosi 
a  human  life. 

Following  his  fair  guide,  whose  dishevelled  hair  waved 
wildly  in  the  wind,  he  entered  the  Jew's  house. 

The  policeman,  caring  more  about  the  thieves  than  the 
victims,  was  searching  the  back-yard. 

A  very  brief  inspection  showed  the  doctor  that  the  Jew 
was  really  dead. 

Throwing  a  tablecloth  over  his  distorted  features,  he 
directed  his  attention  to  Harvey,  who  breathed  heavily. 


JA  CK  HA  RKA  WAY  AT  OXFORD.  2  * 

The  knife  had  entered  his  side,  and  the  wound  was  a 
very  bad  one. 

To  stop  the  effusion  of  blood  was  the  first  thing. 

This  was  done  as  well  as  the  circumstances  would 
permit. 

"  Have  you  a  bedroom  handy?"  asked  the  doctor  of 
Hilda,  who  was  kneeling  in  silent  prayer  by  the  dead 
body  of  her  only  parent. 

"Yes,"  she  said,  rising.  "It  is  selfish  of  me  to  neglect 
the  living  for  the  dead,  but,  if  you  only  knew  how  he 
loved  me — how  kind  he  was  to  me — how " 

Her  utterance  was  checked  by  a  burst  of  tears. 

"  This  way,  sir,"  she  continued,  suppressing  her  grief, 
by  a  heroic  effort.  "I  will  conduct  you.  Poor  young 
gentleman  ;  it  is  through  me  he  has  come  to  this." 

She  led  the  way  upstairs  and  showed  the  doctor  a 
room. 

He  carried  Harvey  in  his  arms  as  if  he  had  been  a  child, 
and  laid  him  on  the  bed. 

Harvey  was  prefectly  insensible,  and  did  not  evince 
any  sign  of  life  beyond  a  feeble  effort  occasionally  to 
breathe  more  freely,  followed  by  a  convulsive  movement 
of  the  limbs. 

The  doctor  and  Hilda  sat  up  with  him  all  night. 

In  vain  the  police  pursued  the  tracks  of  the  robbers  ; 
nothing  could  be  seen  of  them. 

On  the  following  morning  Harvey  recovered  his  con- 
sciousness and  was  able  to  speak,  though  very  faint  from 
loss  of  blood. 

The  coroner  held  an  inquest  on  the  body  of  Moses 
Manassas,  the  Jew  money-lender  of  the  Corn  Market. 

All  the  evidence  Harvey  was  able  to  give  amounted  to 
this  : 

He  had  gone  to  the  assistance  of  the  Jew,  who  was 
attacked  by  two  men. 

One  of  them  had  but  one  arm. 

Of  that  fact  he  was  satisfied. 

It  was  the  maimed  man  who  had  stabbed  him,  but  as 
soon  as  the  knife  entered  his  flesh,  he  lost  consciousness. 

Property  to  a  large  amount  had  been  carried  off. 

Gold,  notes  and  jewellery,  amounting  in  value  to  nearly 
four  thousand  pounds,  had  been  taken. 

Therefore  the  object  of  the  attack  was  decidedly  robbery. 


22  JACK  HARK  AW  AY  AT  OXFORD. 

A  large  reward  was  offered  for  the  apprehension  of  the 
thieves  and  murderers,  for  such  they  were. 

No  one-armed  man  could  be  found  in  Oxford. 

The  doctor  declared  that  it  would  be  unsafe  to  remove 
Harvey  for  at  least  a  couple  of  months. 

Hilda  agreed  to  nurse  him,  and  take  care  of  him  in  her 
house  until  he  got  perfectly  well. 

A  deep  feeling  of  pity,  not  unmixed  with  affection,  grew 
up  in  her  heart  for  the  young  man  who  had  so  generously 
risked  his  own  life  to  save  her  father. 

The  funeral  of  Manasses  was  strictly  private . 

Only  Hilda,  Jack  and  a  Jew,  an  intimate  friend  of  the  de- 
ceased, followed  him  to  his  last  resting-place. 

Harvey,  when  well  enough,  was  not  without  numerous 
visits  from  his  friends,  anong  whom  Jack  was  the  most  at- 
tentive. 

Hilda's  grief  for  the  loss  of  her  father  was  very  acute, 
but  as  time  wore  on,  she  recovered  her  serenity. 

A  will  was  found  which  made  her  the  heiress  of  all  the 
Jew's  vast  wealth,  with  the  exception  of  a  legacy. 

This  was  a  bequest  to  Mr.  John  Harkaway,  of  St.  Aldate's 
College,  Oxford. 

It  consisted  of  the  handsome  sum  of  ten  thousand  pounds 
sterling. 

J  iCi  T?*.S  delighted  at  this  lucky  windfall,  but  he  resolved 
to  nu-..:t  Va^  best  use  of  it.  Invested  at  three  per  cent.,  it 
would  bricg  him  in  an  income  of  three  hundred  a  year. 

This  was  what  his  father  allowed  him. 

So  writing  home,  he  told  his  father  of  his  good  fortune, 
and  begged  him  to  discontinue  making  him  any  allowance 
in  future,  as  he  would  get  along  upon  the  Jew's  legacy. 

His  father  was  delighted,  pleased  beyond  measure,  at  this 
proof  of  Jack's  high  spirit  and  good-heartedness,  for  it 
showed  that  he  had  no  extravagant,  wasteful  tastes. 

Jack  alluded  in  his  letter  to  his  father's  kindness  in  paying 
for  Harvey  at  his  request,  and  hoped  that  his  relinquishment 
of  his  allowance  might  be  looked  upon  as  a  set  off  for  Har- 
vey's allowance. 

The  Christmas  vacation  now  approached. 

On  the  fourteenth  of  January  the  Oxford  term  began,  and 
Jack  prepared  to  read  hard  at  home,  taking  his  books  with 
him. 


JA  CK  HARK  A  WAY  AT  OXFO&&,  33 

"Is  everything  ready,  Monday  ?"  asked  Jack. 

"  Yes,  sare,"  replied  the  black. 

"  Books  all  packed  up  ? " 

"Yes,  sare.  All  the  wine  drank,  but  me  put  half  a 
bottle  of  brandy  away,  cos  that  thief  scout  not  get  it." 

Mr.  Buster  happened  to  be  waiting  respectfully  in  the 
passage,  expecting  to  receive  a  small  tip  from  his  master 
on  his  departure. 

His  injured  feelings  on  hearing  this  remark  would  not 
allow  him  to  be  silent. 

Advancing  with  an  air  which  more  betokened  grief 
than  anger,  he  said — 

"Sir,  may  I  speak  a  word,  Mr.  Harkaway?  Which  you 
have  always  been  a  good  master  to  me,  likewise  kind 
and  considerate." 

"  If  you  want  five  shillings,  here  it  is,"  replied  Jack, 
with  a  laugh.  "  Save  this  butter  for  somebody  else  who 
likes  it  more  than  I  do." 

"  Leastway,  sir,  it's  hard  to  be  accused  of  half  a  bottle 
of  brandy,  which  I  wouldn't  have  touched  a  drop,  sir ; 
no,  not  if  it  had  stood  in  the  cupboard  all  the  long  vaca- 
tion." , 

"  Monday  thought  it  better  not  to  give  you  the  chance, 
you  see. " 

Buster  pocketed  the  five  shillings,  which,  having  been 
duly  paid  his  wages,  was  half-a-crown  more  than  he  had 
expected,  and  as  the  money  sank  into  the  depths  of  his 
breeches-pocket  with  a  pleasant  jingle,  he  replied — 

"Mr.  Monday,  sir,  has  got  a  spite  agin  me." 

"  He  only  looks  after  my  interests." 

"Which,  begging  your  pardon,  sir,  is  not  always  the 
case.  Me  and  my  friend  Mr.  Clinker — who  is  well 
known  in  the  university,  as  an  honester  scout  never 
stepped  across  a  quad,  or  brought  up  hot  water  of  a  morn- 
ing— we  has  been  a-stagging  of  Mr.  Monday,  sir." 

' '  What  on  earth  may  that  operation  consist  in  ?  "  asked 
Jack,  much  amused. 

"He's  got  a  gal,  sir." 

"A  what?" 

"A  gal,  sir.  He's  got  a  young  gal  on,  though  what 
she  can  find  to  see  in  the  black  abomination,  is  a  regular 
licker  for  both  me  and  Mr.  Clinker." 

"  What's  this,  Monday ;  are  you  in  love  ? "  said  Jack 


24  JACK  HARK  A  WAY  AT  OXFORD. 

Monday  looked  surprised,  and  made  no  reply. 

But  he  darted  an  angry  glance  at  Buster,  who,  enjoying 
his  triumph,  proceeded — 

"This  'ere  gal,  as  I'm  a-telling  you  of,  is  in  a  'bacconist's 
shop,  and  serves  behind  the  counter.  Well,  sir,  he's  been 
a-giving  of  her  most  hexpensive  presents,  which  I'm  sure 
he  can't  hafford  hout  hof  his  salary,  and  he's  been  a  cram- 
ming her  up  with  a  pack  of  lies,  that  he's  a  king." 

"Oh,  Monday,"  said  Jack,  laughing,  "  I  am  surprised." 

"That  hain't  all,  sir;  he  said  he'll  take  her  to  some 
highland  in  the  Pacific  Hocean,  and  make  her  a  queen." 

Jack  laughed  more  and  more. 

"And  if  he  didn't  ought  to  be  kicked  for  it,  I  hope  I 
mayn't  have  no  plum-puddin'  on  Christmas  day.  If  I  was 
that  there  gal's  father,  I'd  buy  a  stick  and  leather  him 
within  a  hinch  of  his  life,  I  would." 

"You  dirty  thief  scout  !  "  answered  Monday,  furiously. 
"What  for  you  watch  me?  What  for  you  mean  telling 
things  'bout  me?  " 

He  ran  to  the  wall  and  took  down  a  spear. 

The  scout  got  behind  Jack,  saying — 

"Oh,  Mr.  Harkaway,  protect  me,  sir.  I'll  have  him  up 
afore  the  mayor  if  he  dares  to  prod  me  with  that  horrid 
thing.  Ugh  !  You  awful,  wild,  savage  beast,  you." 

"Quiet,  Monday,"  exclaimed  Jac!:. 

The  black  stopped  half-way  in  obedience  to  his  master's 
command. 

"As  far  as  I  can  see,  your  complaint  is  that  Monday 
has  a  sweetheart  in  a  tobacconist' c  shop.  If  she  likes 
him,  why  shouldn't  she  ?  "  replied  Jack 

"He's  a  nigger,  sir,"  said  Buster. 

"What  does  that  matter?  A  better  heart  never  beat 
under  a  white  skin,  than  under  Monday's  black  one. 
He's  a  king  in  Limbi,  and  he  could  make  the  girl  a  queen 
— so  much  for  that  Now  you  insinuate  that  he  gives 
her  expensive  presents,  and  must  rob  me  to  do  so." 

"Yes,  sir." 

"  That's  what  you  mean  ?  " 

"Cert'n'y,  sir,  precisely,"  said  Buster. 

"Me  never  steal  you  of  sixpence,  sare,"  Monday  ex- 
claimed. "Let  me  give  him  some  spear,  sare  ;  it  do  um 
good." 

"Be  quiet,  I  say.     Now  I  will  tell  you  one  thing,  Mr. 


JA  CK  HA  RKA  WAY  AT  OXFORD.  25 

Buster.  Such  is  my  confidence  in  Monday,  that  I  pay 
him  no  salary  at  all ;  he  keeps  the  keys  of  my  cash-box, 
and  I  tell  him  to  go  and  help  himself  whenever  he  wants 
any  money.  If  he  took  fifty  pounds  at  any  time,  he'd 
be  as  welcome  to  it  as  my  own  mother." 

The  scout  stared  in  amazement. 

"I  am  indebted  to  Monday  for  many  kindnesses," 
answered  Jack.  "  He  is  not  my  servant,  he  is  my  friend. 
I  know  he  would  not  abuse  my  confidence,  and  I  do  not 
suppose  the  presents  he  has  given  his  lady-love  are  very 
valuable." 

"  Me  give  only  nine,  ten  pounds  for  um  all,  sare.  Me 
got  bill  to  show,  sare,"  answered  Monday. 

"There  is  an  end  of  it,"  said  Jack.  "Put  up  that 
spear." 

"Just  give  urn  one  little  poke,  sare,"  pleaded  Monday. 

"  I'll  have  the  law  of  him  if  he  does,  s'elp  me  Bob,  I 
will,"  answered  Buster,  in  an  agony  of  fright. 

"Do  as  I  ask  you,"  answered  Jack,  "and  go  and  call  a 
fly.  I  will  walk  tc  the  station  in  about  an  hour  ;  you  can 
go  on  first  with  the  luggage." 

"Yes,  sare,"  replied  Monday,  replacing  the  spear  on 
the  wall. 

Buster  slunk  away  to  tell  his  friend  Clinker  what  had 
happened. 

Jack  wended  his  way  to  Sir  Sydney's  rooms,  to  say 
good-bye  ;  he  having  previously  called  upon  Harvey  and 
passed  some  time  with  the  poor  fellow,  who  was  progress- 
ing favourably  but  slowly. 

Hilda  was  wonderfully  attentive  to  him. 

She  read  to  him,  talked  and  played  to  him,  and  made 
his  enforced  confinement  so  agreeable,  that  Harvey  wished 
his  period  of  illness  might  be  longer,  for  a  more  kind  or 
considerate  nurse  never  existed  than  the  Jew's  daughter. 


36  /A  CK  HARK  A  WAY  AT  OXFORD. 

CHAPTER  L. 

A   STRANGE   TRAVELLING    COMPANION. 

SIR  SYDNEY  DAWSON'S  rooms  were  in  a  state  of  confusion 
fully  equal  to  that  of  Jack's. 

Luggage  encumbered  the  centre  of  the  sitting-room, 
and  the  scout  was  busily  engaged  in  putting  the  finishing 
touch  to  a  portmanteau. 

"  'Bliged  to  take  a  lot  of  books  home,"  said  Sir  Sydney, 
"just  to  humbug  my  guardian  that  I'm  a  reading  man. 
Gave  my  scout  half  a  sovereign  to  cut  a  lot  of  classics 
yesterday  so  that  it  should  look  as  if  I  dipped  into  them. 
Any  good  news  of  Harvey?" 

"  Yes,  he  is  decidedly  better." 

"Horrible  thing  about  that  poor  Jew.  One  Israelite 
the  less,  though  it  don't  make  much  difference.  If  Wood- 
stock had  lived,  he  might  have  carried  on  the  business 
under  the  name  of  Manasses  and  Co.,  he  being  the  Co." 

"Fancy  a  duke  lending  money  at  sixty  percent.  !" 
said  Jack. 

"Not  a  bad  game,  either.  I've  got  some  spare  cash, 
and  shouldn't  mind  an  investment  at  the  same  rate," 
replied  Sir  Sydney. 

' '  Going  home  to-day  ? "  asked  Jack. 

"Yes;  2.40  train.  Come  with  you  part  of  the  way, 
if  you  like ;  I  go  to  Swindon.  Sit  down  and  have  a  weed  ; 
there's  no  hurry." 

"Thanks,"  replied  Jack. 

"Wonder  the  police  don't  find  the  old  Jew's  murderers," 
said  Sir  Sydney,  offering  Jack  his  case.  "  My  mind  runs 
on  that  murder." 

"So  does  mine,  and  I  think  Hunston  must  have  been 
in  it  Harvey  swears  that  a  one-armed  man  stabbed 
him.  They  got  well  off  with  the  swag  ;  rather  a  rich 
booty  too." 

"  Have  you  any  suspicion  of  a  nature  likely  to  afford 
the  faintest  clue  as  to  who  the  murderers  may  be  ?  "  asked 
Sir  Sydney,  looking  fixedly  at  Jack. 

"I've  remarked  one  thing,"  said  Jack.      "Kemp  has 


JA  CK  HARK  A  WAY  AT  OXFORD.  2  7 

been  very  flush  lately.  Since  the  robbery  he  has  paid  all 
his  ticks,  and  started  a  tandem.  He  says  he's  come  into 
a  legacy." 

"  Kemp  and  Hunston  were  friends,"  sneered  Sir  Sydney. 

"  Next  term  I  mean  to  watch  Kemp  narrowly,"  replied 
Jack.  "I  have  told  the  police  here  all  I  know  about 
him,  and  if  he  is  seen  with  Hunston  at  any  time,  they 
will  both  be  arrested." 

"  On  spec?  " 

"Yes,  on  spec  ;  and  not  a  bad  speculation  either." 

"By  Jove  !  "  said  Sir  Sydney,  "  what  a  lot  of  villany 
there  is  running  about  loose  in  this  wicked  old  world  of 
ours  ;  it's  about  time  it  was  destroyed  again." 

"What  would  become  of  you  then  ?  " 

"Oh,  I'd  take  my  chance  with  the  rest,"  replied  the 
baronet. 

"I  like  you  when  you  become  virtuous.  Some  of  these 
days  we  shall  find  you  a  respectable  country  gentleman, 
in  the  commission  of  the  peace,  committing  little  boys 
for  throwing  stones,  and  men  bagging  a  hare  or  a  rabbit." 

"Yes,  I  suppose  that  will  be  my  line  of  life.  Owning 
land  has  its  duties,  and  the  repression  of  evil-doing  is  one 
of  them." 

"Will  you  come  and  see  me,  if  you  are  down  my  way 
in  the  vac.  ?  I'm  a  Hertfordshire  man,  you  know,"  said 
Jack. 

"Ah  !  country  celebrated  for  its  hedgehogs,  I  believe," 
replied  Sir  Sydney.  "Should  be  delighted,  my  dear  boy, 
if  I  had  time.  No  man  I  should  like  to  give  a  hail  so 
much  as  thy  sweet  self,  but  I'm  booked  too  deep  already. 
Leave  it  till  the  Long." 

"  Then  we  shall  all  be  in  Rome  or  Naples,  or  goodness 
knows  where." 

"Well,  there's  one  comfort,  we  have  enough  of  each 
other  up  here." 

"Because  we  can't  very  well  help  ourselves.  That's 
not  like  knowing  a  man  at  home,  is  it?"" 

"  Not  exactly  ;  well,  leave  it  open.  If  I  run  up  to  the 
little  village  and  don't  get  cornered  in  town,  I'll  run  down 
into  your  forsaken  part  of  the  world  and  stir  you  up  a  bit." 

' '  What  may  that  mean  ? " 

"Oh,  ride  your  best  show  horse  and  break  his  knees, 
run  away  with  your  prettiest  sister,  or " 


28  JA  CK  HARK  A  WAY  AT  OXFORD. 

"  I  haven't  any,  worse  luck." 

"Then  I'll  set  the  house  on  fire  and  roast  your  paralytic 
grandmother  to  death." 

"  Out  again,"  said  Jack;  "grandmothers  are  luxuries 
I  can't  boast  of. " 

"You  ought  to  be  ashamed  of  yourself.  Imagine  the 
state  of  a  man's  mind  who  hasn't  got  a  grandmother.  If 
that  were  my  case  I  should  immediately  commit  suicide." 

"Why?"  ' 

"Because  a  grandmother  is  something  to  look  forward 
to ;  she  has  generally  got  tin,  and,  if  you  are  awfully 
wild  and  wicked  she  is  sure  to  take  compassion  on  you 
and  leave  you  the  lot." 

"  You  will  be  certain  to  come  in  for  your  grand  maternal 
relation's  tin,"  said  Jack,  laughing. 

' '  It's  a  moral ;  but,  excuse  me,  dear  boy,  why  can't 
you  say  grandmother?  Long  words  are  bad  and  worry 
me.  It  took  me  a  quarter  of  a  minute  to  understand 
what  you  meant  by  grand  maternal  relation." 

"  Don't  apologise  ;  only  be  careful  not  to  let  it  occur 
again.  I  am  not  a  walking  dictionary,  and  it  is  unkind 
in  a  friend  to  give  one  more  trouble  than  he  can  help. " 

"You'll  come  if  you  can,  won't  you?" 

"If  the  family  complaint  of  the  Dawsons  does  not 
seize  upon  me  in  the  meantime." 

"  What  is  that  ? "  inquired  Jack. 

"We  are  supposed  to  be  a  very  careless  race,  and  are 
subject  to  what  the  doctors  call  a  turning  to  bone,  or, 
medically,  ossification  of  the  heart." 

"  Bosh  !  "  said  Jack.  "  Call  it  assification  of  the  head  ; 
excuse  the  long  word,  you  know." 

"Will  you  go  out  of  the  door  or  the  window?  Take 
your  choice,"  said  Sir  Sydney,  laughing. 

"The  door  for  choice." 

"  I'll  go  with  you.  It  is  time  to  be  getting  station- 
wards.  Clinker!"  Where's  that  beast  Clinker?  Oh,  ye 
dons  and  little  fishes,  why  were  scouts  invented  to  plague 
the  minds  of  unhappy  undergraduates  ? " 

"Here,  sir;  coming,  sir, "replied Clinker,  "  I  was  only 
a-talking  to  Mr.  Buster,  sir,  about  that  black  thief  of  Mr. 
Harkaway's,  sir,  which  he's  a  disgrace  and  a  'bomination 
to  the  'varsity,  sir." 


JA  CK  HARK  A  WAY  AT  OXFORD.  29 

As  he  entered  the  room,  he  caught  sight  of  Jack. 

"  Didn't  know  you  was  here,  sir,"  he  exclaimed.  "  Not 
as  Mr.  Buster's  opinion  is  mine,  sir.  I  was  only  a-repeatin' 
his  words,  sir.  I've  always  found  Mr.  Monday  a  very 
civil-spoken  sort  of  gentleman,  though  black,  which,  beg- 
ging your  pardon  again,  sir,  his  more  'is  misfortin  than  'is 
fault,  Mr.  Harkaway,  sir." 

''If  you  say  anything  about  my  black  prince  I  shall 
tell  him,  and  I  won't  answer  for  his  savage  nature." 

"  That's  where  it  is,  sir,"  said  Clinker.  "  He  runs  and 
catches  up  a  spear.  He  ought  to  be  muzzled,  he  did,  or 
leastways  handcuffed,  or  have  a  log  of  wood  chained  to 
Dis  leg.'' 

"You  had  better  do  it." 

*  Mr.  Buster  and  me,  sir,  was  a-talking  about  it,"  re- 
plied Clinker  ;  "  that  is,  begging  your  pardin  again,  sir, 
and  we  shall  have  a  general  meeting  of  scouts  in  the  vaca- 
tion, when  hall  personal  differences  will  be  discussed,  and 
perhaps  we  shall  decide  to  put  a  log  on  him  next  term." 

"You  infernal  chattering  humbug!  I  shall  have  to 
put  a  stopper  on  your  tongue,"  exclaimed  Sir  Sydney 
Dawson. 

"Yes,  sir;  cert'n'y,  sir." 

"Go  and  take  this  luggage  down  and  get  me  a  fly." 

"Cert'n'y,  sir,"  replied  Clinker. 

"Won't  you  walk  to  the  station  with  me? "  asked  Jack. 

"No,  thanks  ;  too  done  up  for  walking.  Give  you  a  lift 
in  my  waggon." 

Harkaway  accepted  the  offer. 

In  the  quad  they  met  the  two  scouts. 

"Merry  Christmas,  gentlemen,"  said  Buster. 

"And  it's  wishing  of  you  both  a  happy  New  Year, 
sirs,"  added  Clinker. 

"Same  to  you,  and  many  of  them,"  replied  Jack  and 
Sir  Sydney,  as  they  got  into  the  fly  and  were  driven  to 
the  station. 

When  the  fly  drove  off  Clinker  remarked — 

"  I  don't  think  my  master  will  make  old  bones." 

•'  Don't  know  much  about  mine  either,"  replied  Buster. 
"  He's  very  'centric;  makes  friends  of  blacks,  and  he's 
been  very  queer  at  times  lately." 

They  both  shook  there  heads  gravely  and  went  to  see 
their  other  master's  property  dispatched  to  the  station. 


30  JACK HARKAWAY  AT  OXFORD. 

Sir  Sydney  travelled  with  Jack  to  the  junction  and  there 
got  out,  shaking  his  hand  and  "  putting  on  a  fresh  weed," 
as  he  termed  it 

Jack  was  soon  deep  in  an  illustrated  paper  as  the  train 
moved  on. 

He  had  not  heard  the  door  open  or  anyone  get  in,  but 
when  he  looked  up,  he  gave  a  start 

In  the  opposite  corner,  on  the  other  side  of  the  carriage, 
sat  a  man. 

Jack  saw  it  was  the  same  being  he  had  encountered  on 
the  ice,  and  he  resolved  he  would  be  humbugged  no 
longer  by  any  pretended  ghost 


CHAPTER   LL 

A    FIGHT   WITH    A  GHOST. 

THE  train  entered  a  tunnel. 

Jack  was  not  in  the  mood  then  to  see  or  fancy  any 
thing  magical. 

The  muscles  of  his  arms  seemed  to  swell,  and  his  whole 
frame  was  full  of  vigour. 

He  sprang  to  his  feet 

At  this  moment  the  flickering  lamp  at  the  top  of  the 
carriage  went  out — a  dense  darkness  prevailed. 

Jack  had  only  one  idea  in  his  head,  just  then,  and  that 
was  to  get  hold  of  the  ghost. 

Groping  his  way  in  the  dark  to  the  opposite  corner,  he 
all  at  once  came  in  contact  with  a  solid  arm. 

It  was  of  flesh  and  blood  apparently,  for  a  hand  glided 
up  and  seized  his  throat,  closing  convulsively  on  the  wina- 
pipe. 

Jack's  eyes  began  to  start  from  his  head. 

Twining  his  strong  arms  round  the  thing  that  had  got 
hold  of  him,  he  pressed  them  together  with  all  his  mighty 
force. 

He  heard,  as  he  thought,  the  ribs  of  the  ghost  crack. 

There    was  a  sharp,  short  cry  of  agony. 

The  awful  choking  grasp  round  his  throat  relaxed,  and 
he  could  breathe  again  ;  that  squeeze,  which  was  like  a 
giant's  hug,  had  done  it . 


JA  CK  HARK  A  WAY  AT  OXFORD.  3 1 

jack  was  himself  again. 

He  felt  that  it  was  no  ghost  he  was  fighting  with,  or, 
if  a  ghost,  a  very  extraordinary  one,  for  he  was  grappling 
with  flesh  and  blood. 

His  spirit  was  up,  and  he  threw  himself  with  all  his  force 
on  his  antagonist. 

They  pressed  against  the  door. 

It  had  been  imperfectly  shut,  and  burst  open. 

A  heavy  body  rolled  from  his  arms,  and  fell  on  the  line. 

The  next  moment  the  speed  of  the  engine  slackened, 
and  the  train  glided  into  the  light  and  steamed  into 
the  station. 

For  a  time  he  was  dazzled  by  the  light,  but  stepping  on 
the  platform,  he  called  the  guard,  who  came  up. 

"  What  is  it,  sir  ?  "  asked  the  guard. 

"I  have  been  attacked  in  the  tunnel,"  said  Jack,  "and 
the  man  has  tumbled  out  on  the  line.  My  name  is  Hark- 
away  ;  take  my  baggage  on  to  Paddington,  and  put  it  in 
the  cloak-room  ;  leave  the  ticket  with  the  superintendent. 
There  is  half  a  crown  for  you.  Where  is  the  station- 
master?" 

"Mr.  Elvey,"  said  the  guard. 

The  station-master  approached. 

"  Gentleman  wants  to  speak  to  you,  sir.  All  right  be- 
hind," said  the  guard,  who  blew  his  whistle,  and  the  train 
went  on,  leaving  Jack  standing  on  the  platform. 

"  Get  lamps  and  come  into  the  tunnel,"  said  Jack. 

"What  has  happened,  sir?"  asked  the  station-master. 

"I  have  been  attacked  in  the  tunnel,  by  some  one  01 
other,  and  in  self-defence  I  fought  him  ;  he  has  tumbled 
out  of  the  train,"  answered  Jack,  who  was  still  in  a  great 
state  of  excitement. 

"  Stop  here,  sir,"  said  Elvey,  "  and  I  will  take  two  men 
v/ith  me  ;  the  down  express  is  nearly  due." 

As  he  spoke,  the  express  thundered  through  the  station. 

"  Now  we  are  all  right ;  there  is  nothing  to  interfere 
with  us  but  an  up-goods,  and  that's  always  late.  Here, 
Bates  and  Wright !  " 

Two  porters  answered  his  summons. 

"Get  lanterns  and  a  stretcher.     Quick  !  " 

In  a  few  minutes  the  station-master  and  the  porters 
walked  down  the  line  to  the  tunnel,  with  lanterns  and  a 
s^etcher. 


32  JACK  HARKA  WAY  AT  OXFORD. 

Jack  paced  the  platform  uneasily. 

Ten  minutes  clasped,  and  then  a  procession  was  seen 
emerging  from  the  mouth  of  the  tunnel. 

The  station-master  was  first  with  a  lantern  in  each  hand, 
and  the  porters  carried  a  body  on  the  stretcher. 

It  was  that  of  a  young  man,  and  directly  it  came  near 
enough  for  Jack  to  see  it,  he  recognized  Frank  Davis. 

His  mind  was  in  a  whirl ;  he  could  not  understand  it  all. 

"  Better  take  him  to  the  railway  inn,  sir,  and  send  for 
a  doctor,"  said  Elvey. 

"Do  as  you  like.     I  will  wait  here,"  replied  Jack. 

Half  an  hour  elapsed. 

The  station-master  returned. 

"Well?"  said  Jack  shortly. 

"The  doctor  says  the  gentleman  can't  livelong,  sir, 
and  he  keeps  on  asking  for  a  Mr.  Harkaway,"  replied 
Elvey. 

"That's  my  name." 

"Will  you  come  to  his  bedside?" 

"Yes;  lead  the  way, "  replied  Jack. 

It  was  but  a  short  walk  to  the  railway  hotel,  which  was 
opposite  the  station,  and  Jack  was  conducted  upstairs. 

On  the  bed  was  stretched  the  ghastly  and  dying  form 
of  Frank  Davis. 

"Harkaway,"  he  said,  in  a  faint  voice,  "I  have  sent  for 
you  to  beg  your  forgiveness.  I  am  dying  now. " 

"I  am  sorry  for  it  ;  I  thought  you  were  dead  long 
ago,"  said  Jack. 

"You  were  deceived.  The  injury  I  received  when  I 
fell  into  the  quad  at  St.  Aldate's  was  not  fatal.  Acting 
upon  Kemp's  advice,  I  pretended  to  be  dead,  and  appeared 
to  you  at  different  times,  to  lead  you  to  believe  that  you 
were  haunted." 

' '  For  what  reason  ?  " 

"To  make  you  commit  suicide,  to  kill  you,  to  get  rid 
of  you,  for  I  knew  that  as  long  as  you  lived,  I  had  no 
chance  with  Emily,  whom  I  have  loved  better  than  my 
life  or  honour,  ever  since  I  first  saw  her." 

"  It  was  you  I  have  seen  in  my  chambers  ? " 

"Yes.     I  had  a  false  key." 

"And  on  the  ice? "  persisted  Jack. 

' '  I  hoped  to  drown  you.  God  forgive  me  !  I  am  sorry 
for  it  all  now." 


/  J  CK  HARK  A  WAY  AT  OXFORD,  33 

"  \i bat  riid  you  mean  to  do  in  the  railway  carriage  ?  " 

"  Throw  you  out  of  the  door  as  you  did  ma  I  left  the 
door  open  on  purpose/'  answered  Davis. 

Jack  shrank  back  at  this  revelation,  which  completely 
isiounded  him. 

"  Give  me  your  hand,  Harkaway/'  continued  Davis 
whose  voice  grew  weaker  and  yet  more  feeble. 

Jack  did  so. 

4 '  God  forgive  me  !  Say  a  prayer  for  me.  I  .eel  I  am 
going." 

He  was  indeed  sinking  fast. 

The  injuries  he  had  received  in  the  tunnel  were  of  a 
mortal  character. 

"I  forgive  you,  Davis,  with  all  my  heart,"  replied 
Juck,  "though  you  have  led  me  a  iife  for  no  fault  of  my 
own.  Anything  I  did  to  you  was  provoked  by  your  con- 
duct to  me. " 

"  I  know  it.  My  life  might  have  been  a  better  one,  but 
I  deserve  my  fate,"  answered  the  dying  man. 

A  rush  of  blood  to  his  mouth  stopped  his  further  utter- 
ance for  a  time. 

At  length  he  held  out  his  hand  to  Jack. 

"Take  it,  "he  said 

Jack  did  so. 

"  Beware  of  Hunston  and  Kemp ;  they  are  mur — 
m — m " 

He  could  say  no  more. 

The  blood  rushing  into  his  lungs  again  suffocated  him, 
and  he  passed  away. 

Though  Jack  was  very  sorry  for  his  frightful  end,  he 
could  not  help  feeling  some  satisfaction  at  knowing  that 
his  enemy  was  really  dead  this  time. 

Davis's  last  utterance,  no  doubt,  related  to  the  attack 
on  the  Jew. 

He  wished  to  say  that  Hunston  and  Kemp  were 
murderers. 

It  was  with  a  heavy,  but  still  with  a  lightened  heart, 
ihat  Jack  pursued  his  journey. 

He  had  to  attend  the  inquest,  at  which  a  verdict  of 
iccidental  death  was  returned. 

No  one  blamed  him. 

He  had  only  acted  in  self-defence. 

During  the  holidays  he  read  hard,  and  soon  became 
3 


34  JA  CK  HARKA  WAY  AT  OXFORD. 

himself  again.  His  health,  which  had  suffered  while 
he  thought  himself  haunted,  resumed  its  former  con- 
dition, and  he  passed  his  spare  time  in  playing  with  a 
football  club  in  the  village. 

Emily  had   asked  him   to  get  into  the  Oxford  eleven 
which  was  going  to  play  Eton  in  Lent  term,  and  he  feu 
confident  he  could  make  himself  fit  with  a  little  practice. 


CHAPTER   LII. 
PAT  O'RAFFERTY. 

WHEN  the  vacation  was  over,  Jack  returned  to  college, 
and  once  more  took  up  his  residence  at  St.  Aldate's. 

Every  thing  went  on  as  usual. 

Tom  Garden  wanted  him  to  row  again  in  the  eight  at 
Putney,  but  this  Jack  refused,  as  he  wanted  to  read  hard, 
and  come  out  well  in  the  schools. 

Rowing  was  all  very  well.  He  liked  the  honour  and 
the  exercise,  but  two  years  of  it  running  would  take  up 
too  much  time. 

So  the  captain  grumblingly  went  away  to  look  for  a  new 
man. 

The  football  match  with  Eton  came  off. 

It  was  won  by  Oxford,  and  Jack  distinguished  himself 
by  winning  one  goal,  and  breaking  a  leg  in  a  charge. 

The  poor  fellow  who  had  come  in  contact  with  cuv 
brawny  giant  was  carried  off  the  field. 

Jack  was  very  sorry,  but  it  was  not  his  fault  that  ho 
was  so  strong. 

During  this  Lent  term,  Jack  made  a  new  acquaintance. 

The  weather  was  very  mild,  more  like  spring  than 
winter,  and  he  frequently  sculled  on  the  river  in  his  boa,. 

One  day  he  was  quietly  going  down  towards  Iffley, 
thinking  over  his  future  prospects. 

Davis  was  dead. 

Of  Hunston,  he  saw  nothing ;  and,  for  the  time,  Kemo 
seemed  disposed  to  let  him  alone. 

But  Kemp  was  in  reality  nothing  better  than  a  sleepin« 
snake. 

At  any  moment  he  might  wake  up  and  bite. 


I A  CK  HARK  A  WAY  AT  OXFORD.  3  5 

Suddenly  something  caught  Jack  round  the  neck,  flung 
iiim  forward  in  the  boat  and  his  sculls  were  dashed  from 
ms  hands. 

At  first  he  thought  he  had  run  up  against  a  barge. 

But  when  he  picked  himself  up,  he  could  see  nothing 
*s  hatever. 

A  burst  of  ringing  laughter  from  the  bank  made  him 
tarn  his  eyes  in  that  direction. 

He  saw  a  young  man  standing  by  the  stump  of  a  pollard 
willow,  and  almost  level  with  his  waist  was  a  stout  cord. 

This  was  stretched  across  the  river,  and  fastened  on 
each  side  to  the  branch  of  a  tree. 

It  was  the  cord  which  had  caught  him  by  the  neck  and 
thrown  him. 

"I  say,  you  sir!"  he  exclaimed,  angrily;  "what  do 
you  mean  by  setting  traps  like  this  for  people  ?" 

The  young  man  who  wore  the  college  cap  and  gown, 
Vughed  harder  than  ever. 

"  I  shall  have  to  knock  some  of  that  grinning  out  o\ 
;rou  !  "  cried  Jack. 

"That  would  puzzle  you  at  anytime,  bejabers;  but 
•list  now  more  than  ever,"  was  the  reply. 

"Why?" 

"Because  you  have  lost  your  sculls,  and  are  drifting 
jown  to  the  lasher." 

This  was  true. 

For  the  first  time,  Jack  realized  his  position. 

He  had  lost  both  sculls,  and  was  perfectly  helpless,  while, 
ahead  of  him,  he  could  hear  the  sullen  roar  of  the  weir. 

"  Sit  still  like  a  good  boy,  and  don't  growl  any  more," 
*aid  the  stranger,  "  and  on  the  word  of  a  gintleman,  I 
will  get  you  out  of  the  mess. " 

"How?" 

"My  boat  is  moored  lower  down.  I'll  get  in,  pick  up 
cour  sculls,  and  apologise  ;  will  that  do  for  you  ?  " 

"  Yes,"  replied  Jack,  "though  I  don't  half  like  it." 

"Of  course  you  don't,"  said  the  stranger,  with  another 
faugh  ;  "do  you  fale  sore,  eh ? " 

"Rather,  you've  made  my  jaws  ache.  I  had  half  a 
mind  to  swim  over  to  you  just  now  and  punch  your  head." 

"My  dear  fellow,  you  wouldn't  be  in  it  with  me.  I  am 
«ie  best  light  weight  out ;  you  couldn't  lick  me,  if  you 
tried  for  a  week. " 


36  /X  CK  hARKA  WAY  AT  OXFORD. 

The  measured  sound  of  oars  was  heard  coming  down 
the  river. 

"  Hullo  !"  said  the  practical  joker.  "Here  are  some 
more  putty-heads  coming." 

"  It's  one  of  the  college  eight,"  said  Jack;  "cut  the 
cord. " 

"Not  I." 

"You  will  swamp  the  lot ! " 

"All  the  better,"  replied  the  stranger. 

He  ran  quickly  down  the  bank,  jumped  into  bis  boat — 
picked  up  Jack's  sculls,  gave  them  to  him,  and  did  it  all 
in  less  than  a  minute. 

"Now!"  he  cried.  "Pull  quickly  on,  and  lay  under 
the  bank  with  me  ;  we  must  see  the  fun,  and  then  get  in- 
to the  lock,  before  they  can  twig  us.  Eight  to  two  and 
the  coxswain  are  odds  which  I  don't  mean  to  face." 

Though  he  did  not  like  it,  Jack  did  as  he  was  told,  for 
the  stranger  had  a  way  with  him  of  making  those  he 
came  in  contact  with  obey  him. 

They  hid  under  the  bank. 

On  came  the  eight  with  a  steady  swinging  stroke  of 
thirty-six  a  minute. 

"It's  the  St.  Aldate's  boat,"  said  the  stranger. 

"So  it  is,  by  all  that's  funny.     There's  Tom  Garden." 

Before  Jack  could  say  any  thing  more,  the  sharp  eye  of 
the  coxswain  had  spied  the  rope. 

"  Easy  all !  "  he  cried,  loudly.      "  Back  water  all ! " 

It  was  too  late. 

The  rope  caught  the  bow,  two,  three  and  four,  pitching 
them  into  the  river,  while  five,  six  and  seven  were  sent 
sprawling  over  their  stretchers. 

Tom  Garden  was  spared,  as  the  impetus  of  the  boat 
was  stopped. 

The  captain  looked  around  him  in  surprise. 

"What  the  deuce  is  up?"  he  said,  wonderingly. 

"  Why,"  said  the  coxswain,  "  some  son  of  a  sea-cook 
has  tied  a  rope  across  the  river." 

Taking  out  his  knife,  he  cut  it  in  half. 

Those  who  remained  in  the  eight  pulled  themselves  up 
grumblingly,  and  paddled  to  the  shore,  where  those  who 
had  been  pitched  in  the  water  were  shivering  after  their 
swim,  and  rubbing  the  backs  of  their  necks  as  if  they  did 
not  like  it 


JACK  HARKA  WAY  AT  OXFORD.  37 

'*!  wish  I  could  catch  the  brute,"  said  Tom  Garden. 
"  It's  a  rascally  thing  to  do.  Keep  it  dark,  you  fellows, 
or  we  shall  be  nicely  chaffed." 

Touching  Jack's  arm,  the  stranger  whispered — 

"  Now's  your  time.  Come  on,  and  we  shall  get  leeks 
before  the  eight  come  up.  Here,  get  into  my  boat,  we 
can  double  scull.  Tie  yours  up,  and  we  can  change 
again  when  we  come  back." 

Jack  hastily  fastened  the  painter,  and  to  his  surprise 
found  himself  in  a  short  time  sculling  with  a  strange  man 
whom  he  had  not  known  from  Adam  five  minutes  be- 
fore. 

The  stranger  seemed  to  divine  his  thoughts. 

He  said — 

"  You  are  wondering  what  there  is  about  me  to  make 
you  do  as  you  are  told.  It's  a  way  I've  got.  I  call  it 
me  Irish  charm." 

"  You  are  in  the  university, of  course? "  answered  Jacl:. 

"Yes,  I'm  a  Maudlin  man.  My  name  is  Pat  O  Rnf- 
ferty,  and  as  every  one  must  have  a  rayson  for  living,  v\-j 
raison  dttre  is  to  play  practical  jokes.  I  live  for  fun,  and 
now  who  are  you?  " 

"Jack  Harkaway,"  was  the  reply. 

"What,  the  great  oar,  the  athlete,  the  pride  of  the 
'Varsity,  who  is  making  all  the  muscular  Christians  wape 
because  he  won't  row  again  this  year  ;  the  converted  mass 
of  muscles,  who  is  going  to  court  the  muses,  and  turn 
rayding  man  ?  I  have  heard  of  you,  my  friend." 

"One  must  read  a  little,"  answered  Jack  modestly. 

"I  am  proud  to  make  your  acquaintance,"  .continued 
O'Rafferty.  "  Here  we  are  at  locks.  Wake  the  man  up, 
will  you  ?  " 

' '  Locks  !  "  cried  Jack,  ' '  lo-lo-locks-s-s. " 

A  few  minutes  sufficed  to  carry  them  through,  and 
they  settled  down  for  a  steady  row,  which  continued  for 
about  a  mile. 

Suddenly  O'Rafferty  stopped. 

"  I've  had  about  enough  of  this,"  he  exclaimed  ;  "sup- 
pose we  have  a  quiet  chat." 

"  I  shouldn't  mind  a  beer  and  some  bread  and  cheese," 
answered  Jack. 

O'Rafferty  looked  round  and  saw  on  his  left  a  verj 
neat-looking  lawn  sloping  down  to  the  river. 


38  /A  CK  HARKA  WAY  AT  OXFORD. 

It  belonged  to  a  gentleman's  house,  the  approach  to 
vrhich  was  over  the  grass  amidst  flower-beds  and  shrubs, 
while  on  each  side  was  a  wall  fringed  with  trees. 

The  windows  of  a  room  opening  on  to  the  lawn  were 
open. 

Inside  could  be  seen  a  snug  little  party  enjoying  a  sub- 
stantial lunch. 

The  popping  of  champagne  corks  mingled  with  the  in- 
nocent laughter  of  young  girls. 

"Just  in  time,  by  hookey  !  "  exclaimed  O'Rafferty. 

"  For  what?  "  asked  Jack. 

"Some  of  that  lunch.      Scull  into  the  lawn." 

"  Do  you  know  the  people  ?  " 

"  Not  the  laste  little  bit  in  the  world." 

"And  you  are  going  to  lunch  there?"  continued 
Jack. 

"That's  a  moral  certainty,  and  you  with  me,"  replied 
O'Rafferty. 

•'Are  you  mad?  "  asked  Jack. 

"Not  much.  I'll  give  you  a  specimen  of  my  sanity 
directly.  You  must  do  every  thing  I  tell  you.  Touch 
your  cap  when  you  are  spoken  to,  and  trate  me  as  the 
master.  Look  here  ;  take  off  your  college  cap  and  leave 
your  gown  under  the  sate.  Put  on  this  cricketing  affair." 

O'Rafferty  produced  from  the  pocket  of  his  shooting- 
coat  two  brown  caps. 

"I  always  come  provided  for  contingencies,"  he  said. 
'•'  I  flatter  myself  we  look  like  business  men,  eh  ?  " 

"We  might  pass  muster  in  a  crowd,"  replied  Jack. 

He  did  not  know  in  the  least  what  they  were  going  to 
do,  but  he  sculled  into  the  lawn. 

O'Rafferty  fastened  the  boat,  and  seizing  the  boat-hook, 
jumped  ashore. 

"Come  along,"  he  exclaimed. 

Jack  followed  him. 

Walking  across  the  lawn,  O'Rafferty  began  to  measure 
distances  with  the  boat-hook,  as  if  calculating  how  far  it 
was  from  one  side  to  the  other  of  the  lawn. 

A  splendid  greenhouse  had  been  erected  on  the  left. 
and  he  took  very  particular  notice  of  this. 

All  his  actions  were  easily  observable  from  the  win- 
dows. 

Presently   a   tall   footman   in   blue   and  silver  livery, 


JA  CK  HARK  A  WAY  AT  OXFORD.  39 

h  s  hair  powdered,  left  the  house   and   stalked  down  to- 
wards the  intruder. 

"Now for  it,"  muttered  Jack.      "I  expect  we  shall  be 
kicked  into  the  river,  and  we  deserve  it  for  our  cool  cheek." 


CHAPTER  LIIL 

COOL    CHEEK, 

THE  footman  approached  O'Rafferty,  and  said,  in  an  in- 
solent tone — 

"Are  you  aware  you  are  trespassing,  my  man?  " 

"Parfectly,"  answered  the  Irishman,  adding,  "Mr. 
Martin  ! " 

"Sir,"  said  Jack,  touching  his  cap. 

"You  will  make  a  note,  if  you  plase,  to  this  effect. 
The  most  direct  road  is  through  the  greenhouse  on  the  left. 
The  distance  is  six  poles,  one  perch.'' 

"Yes,  sir,"  answered  Jack,  making  an  entry  with  a 
pencil  in  his  pocket-book. 

The  footman  spoke  again. 

"What  am  I  to  tell  the  major?  "  he  asked. 

"Major,"  repeated  O'Rafferty,  as  if  he  was  thinking 
deeply. 

"Major  Chutney,  late  of  the  Indian  army  is  my  mas- 
ter." 

"Ah,  yes,  of  course.  Tell  Major  Chutney,  with  my 
compliments,  that  I  am  Mr.  Berry,  surveyor  to  the  pro- 
posed extension  railway,  which  is  called  in  the  Act  of 
Parliament  in  that  case  made  and  provided,  '  The  Abing- 
don,  Sandford,  and  Iffley  Rail  way. '" 

"Indeed,  sir,"  said  the  footman,  more  civilly;  "the 
major  would  have  a  fit  if  he  thought  the  line  was  going 
to  cut  through  his  garden." 

"And  tell  him,"  continued  O'Rafferty,  as  if  he  had 
not  heard  the  remark,  "  that  it  seems  to  me  the  aisiest 
way  to  take  off  the  left-hand  corner  of  the  greenhouse, 
so  as  to  cut  over  the  meadows  beyond,  and  so  reach  the 
tarminus  or  junction  at  Oxford. " 

The  footman  went  away  at  a  quick  trot 


40  JA  CK  HARK  A  WAY  AT  CXFO&&* 

"That  will  wire  them,  me  lad;  see  if  it  don't  Look 
at  old  Chutney  stumping  down  to  us.  I'll  lay  a  hundred 
on  the  lunch  now,"  replied  O'Rafferty,  chuckling  with 
glee. 

In  fact,  Major  Chutney,  an  old  and  fiery  Bengalee,  was 
walking  along-  the  garden. 

Bowing  politely  to  O'Rafferty,  he  said — 

"  Mr. — a — Berry,  I  think  I  have  the  honour  of  address- 
ing." 

"That  is  my  name,"  answered  O'Rafferty,  stiffly. 

"  You  are  the — a — the  surveyor  of  a  projected  railway." 

"The  Abingdon,  Sandford,  and  Iffley  Extension  Line, 
Our  bill  will  be  in  committee  as  soon  as  parliament  meets," 
said  O'Rafferty. 

"Oh,  yes;  dear  me!"  said  the  major,  with  a  forced 
smile.  "Highly  interesting  and  useful  things,  railways 
— um.  We  are  at  lunch.  My  wife  and  daughters  will 
esteem  it  an  honour  if  you  will  honour  us  with  your  com- 
pany." 

"  Thank  you,  I  shall  be  proud,"  answered  O'Rafferty. 

Turning  to  Jack,  he  added — 

"Martin!" 

"Sir,"  answered  Jack,  scarcely  able  to  restrain  a  smile. 

"Stay  by  the  boat,  if  you  please,  until  my  return," 
said  O'Rafferty. 

"Nay,"  replied  the  major,  "  ask  him  to  join  you.  He 
is " 

"My  assistant,  Major  Chutney.  A  young  man  of  good 
family,  who  will  some  day  rank  amongst  our  foremost 
engineers. " 

"By  all  means  ask  him  in.  My  servants  will  see  to 
your  boat.  Here,  John,  Thomas,  William,''  said  the 
major. 

"The  boat  is  moored,  sir,"  replied  O'Rafferty.  "Do 
not  disturb  your  household ;  no  harm  can  come  to  her 
where  she  is. " 

"  If  that  is  so,  follow  me,"  answered  the  major,  stump- 
ing back  to  the  house. 

The  young  men  were  ushered  into  the  dining-room, 
and  introduced  to  Mrs.  Chutney,  and  her  two  lovely 
daughters. 

Jack  was  rather  ashamed  of  the  whole  adventure  into 
which  he  had  been  drawn  without  meaning  it 


JA  CK  HA  RKA  WAY  AT  OXFORD.  4 1 

But  O'Rafferty  evidently  looked  upon  it  as  a  good  joke, 
and  a  part  of  that  fun,  in  search  of  which  he  had  said  he 
spent  his  existence. 

Mrs.  Chutney  was  extremely  amiable,  and  the  daughters 
found  the  two  strangers  so  gentlemanly  and  nice  that 
they  took  quite  a  fancy  to  them. 

O'Rafferty  flirted  with  Alice. 

Jack  made  a  little  love  to  Rose. 

He  was  far  away  from  Emily,  and  thought  he  should 
never  meet  the  young  ladies  again. 

Such  is  the  deceitful  nature  of  young  men. 

In  this  expectation,  however,  he  was  deceived,  for  he 
did  meet  them  again,  and  at  a  time  when  he  least  ex- 
pected and  wished  for  it. 

Pleasant  as  was  the  little  party,  everything  must  come 
to  an  end. 

The  young  men  said  good-bye,  and  as  Jack  squeezed 
Rose's  hand,  she  whispered — 

"  We  shall  meet  again,  I  hope." 

"Thanks  ;  I  hope  so  too,"  answered  Jack. 

Major  Chutney  preceded  his  guests  to  the  boat. 

"  I  trust,  sir,"  he  said,  "  that  you  will  find  a  more  con- 
venient course  for  your  railway  than  through  my 
grounds." 

"Rest  easy,  major,"  replied  O'Rafferty;  "the  Abing- 
don,  Sandford  andlffley  Extension  shall  not  trouble  you." 

The  major  tried  to  slip  a  ten-pound  Bank  of  England 
note  into  his  hand. 

"What !  "  exclaimed  O'Rafferty,  affecting  indignation. 
"  You  dare  to  bribe  me  ?  " 

"  Only  a  little  present,  sir,"  answered  the  major. 

"Bribe  me,  bribe  a  public  servant !  "  shouted  O'Rafferty, 
angrily.  "This  is  an  insult  I  can  not  forgive.  By  the 
powers,  sir,  the  railway  shall  come  through  your  grounds." 

"  My  dear,  good  sir,"  pleaded  the  major. 

"It  shall  cut  your  greenhouse  in  half." 

"Listen  to  me " 

"I  will  have  a  goods  station  in  your  kitchen  garden," 
thundered  O'Rafferty. 

The  Major  groaned,  and  O'Rafferty  sprang  into  the 
boat,  where  Jack  was  already  seated,  and  pushing  off 
with  stately  grandeur,  he  left  the  major  standing  on  the 
grass  in  mute  despair. 


42  JACK  HA  RKA  WAY  AT  OXFORD. 

When  they  got  out  of  earshot  O'Rafferty  exclaimed — 

"  Nice  sort  of  man,  nice  daughters  too  ;  old  woman  a 
little  snuffy,  wine  good,  house  good." 

"I  have  enjoyed  myself  very  much,"  answered  Jack. 
"But  I  am  sorry  we  entered  a  private  circle  under  false 
pretences." 

"  Did  we  do  any  harm  ?  " 

"No,  you  frightened  the  old  major,  though." 

' '  All  his  own  fault, "  replied  O'Rafferty.  ' '  Did  he  think 
I  wanted  his  dirty  money.'  But  now,  Mr.  Harkaway, 
let  us  scull  back  to  Oxford  and  pick  up  your  boat  on  the 
way.  By-the-bye,  we  shall  be  late  for  hall.  Will  you 
dine  with  me  in  my  rooms  ?  " 

"With  pleasure,"  answered  Jack. 

The  row  back  to  college  was  accomplished  without 
d;flBculty. 


CHAPTER  LIV. 

A   ROBBERY   AT   THE    BANK. 

ON  the  whole  Jack  was  very  much  pleased  with  his 
pew  acquaintance. 

When  they  parted  in  Christ-Church  meadows,  O'Rafferty 
exclaimed — 

"  Don't  be  later  than  six,  and  bring  a  friend  with  you. 
I  will  ask  a  man,  so  we  shall  have  a  square  party,  which 
is  much  better  than  an  angular  feed  of  three  or  five." 

Jack  promised  to  do  so,  and  went  straight  to  Sir  Sydney 
Dawson's  rooms. 

The  baronet  was  lying  on  a  sofa,  smoking  as  usual, 
and  looking  very  tired  and  sleepy. 

"Ah,  Harkaway  !  "  said  Sir  Sydney.  "It  is  refreshing 
to  an  invalid  like  me  to  see  a  hale  and  hearty  young 
fellow  like  yourself.  As  for  me,  I  am  a  wreck." 

"What's  the  matter  now?"  asked  Jack,  who  knew  his 
friend's  fondness  for  running  his  health  down  after  dissi- 
pation. 

"I'm  breaking,  I  am  indeed." 

"Where  were  you  last  night  ?  " 

"  Oh,  had  some  fellows  up.     Gave  a  wine,  you  know. 


JA  CK  HA  RKA  WAY  AT  OXFORD.  43 

Asked  you  to  come,  but  you  wouldn't.  Owe  you  one  for 
that." 

' '  And, "  said  Jack.  ' '  I  suppose  you  drank  champagne, 
and  played  loo  until  daylight  ?  " 

"At  a  wine-party  men  usually  do  drink  wine,"  an- 
swered Sir  Sydney.  ' '  There  is  nothing  very  extraordinary 
in  that ;  and  I  plead  guilty  to  a  little  mild  loo,  at  which 
I  lost  the  trifling  sum  of  twenty-five  pounds,  but  I  will 
solemnly  swear  that  I  went  to  bed  at  half-past  six  this 
morning,  and  no  one  can  call  that  dissipation.  No,  my 
health  is  giving  way  ;  I  never  was  very  strong.  I  am 
breaking  up." 

Jack  laughed. 

"A  man  stays  up  all  night  drinking  and  smoking,"  he 
said,  "and  wonders  that  he  is  seedy  the  next  day.  But 
wake  up  ;  I  want  you  to  come  and  dine  with  me." 

"Can't  eat,"  said  Sir  Sydney,  with  a  melancholy  shake 
of  the  head.  "But  where  is  it  ? " 

"Oh!  with  a  friend  of  mine,  Mr.  O'Rafferty  of  Mag- 
dalen." 

"That's  very  Irish,  isn't  it?  " 

"  Rather,"  replied  Jack  with  a  smile. 

"Will  he  make  me  laugh?"  asked  the  baronet  "I 
want  to  laugh." 

"Come  and  see,  or  rather  come  to  my  rooms  when  you 
are  ready.  I  want  to  write  a  letter,"  said  Jack. 

It  was  arranged  they  should  go  together,  and  Jack  went 
to  his  own  staircase.  He  found  a  letter  from  Emily,  con- 
taining an  invitation  from  Mrs.  Travers,  to  a  grand  ball 
she  was  going  to  give  that  day  three  weeks. 

Emily  begged  him  not  to  miss  it. 

"  It  will  be  a  grand  affair,"  she  said  in  her  letter.  "We 
are  to  have  an  Indian  prince  and  his  suite  ;  his  name  is 
Prince  Pompom  Chatnagowrie.  No  expense  will  be 
spared,  and  we  shall  have  such  fun.  Do,  dear  Jack,  write 
and  say  we  may  expect  you." 

"I  shall  be  there,"  was  Jack's  mental  exclamation. 

Punctually  at  six,  he  and  Sir  Sydney  found  their  way  to 
O'Rafferty's  rooms,  where,  to  Jack's  surprise,  he  saw  Kemp. 

Jack  introduced  his  friend,  and  O'Rafferty  exclaimed — 

"  Delighted  to  see  you,  Sir  Sydney.  That  is  my  friend, 
Mr.  Kemp  ;  thought  you  would  like  to  meet  a  man  of 
your  own  college." 


44  JA CK  HA KKA  WAY  AT  OXFORD, 

"We  have  met  before,"  replied  Sir  Sydney,  looking 
coldly  at  Kemp. 

Jack  gave  him  a  formal  nod,  as  he  could  not  be  rude 
to  him,  meeting  him  as  he  did  at  a  mutual  friend's, 
O'Rafferty  not  being  supposed  to  know  that  they  were 
not  on  a  friendly  footing. 

Kemp  was  in  fact  the  only  one  in  the  university  whom 
Jack  disliked  now  Davis  was  dead  and  gone. 

He  knew  that  Kemp  was  a  friend  of  Hunston's,  and 
fancied  they  would  try  to  avenge  Davis 's  death  of  which 
he  was  the  innocent  cause. 

The  dinner  was  placed  on  the  table ;  the  covers  lifted, 
and  a  roast  leg  of  lamb,  spinach  and  potatoes  revealed 
to  view. 

Then  followed  the  second  course. 

To  everyone's  astonishment,  this  also  consisted  of 
roast  leg  of  lamb,  spinach,  and  potatoes. 

No  one  made  any  remark  ;  the  conversation  flowed  on 
gaily,  though  neither  Dawson  nor  Jack  talked  to  Kemp 
more  than  they  could  help. 

At  length  came  the  third  course. 

This  also  consisted  of  roast  leg  of  lamb,  spinach  and 
potatoes. 

O'Rafferty  began  to  laugh. 

"Gentlemen,"  he  said,  "they  say  open  confession  is 
good  for  the  soul,  and  I  owe  you  an  explanation.  We  are 
victims  of  a  singular  combination  of  circumstances. 

"  I  must  tell  you  that  I  have  a  running  account  at  the 
Mitre,  the  Clarendon,  and  the  Randolph  hotels,  but  my 
tick  is  not  so  good  as  it  was. 

"  I  went  this  afternoon  to  the  '  Mitre,'  where  they  told 
me  they  could  only  afford  to  send  me  one  course  ;  I  really 
must  not  be  so  extravagant,  etc. 

"Accordingly  I  went  for  course  number  two  to  the 
'Clarendon,'  and  the  'Randolph.'  I  left  the  choice  of 
dishes  to  them,  and  as  lamb  and  spinach  are  in  season,  I 
suppose  they  all  imagined  they  could  not  send  me  any- 
thing nicer. 

"  I  am  sorry  you  should  have  had  too  much  of  a  good 
thing,  but  I  hope  you  will  not  be  ashamed  to  look  a 
lamb  in  the  face  the  next  time  you  take  a  walk  in  the 
country. " 

Everybody  laughed 


JACK  HARKA  WAY  AT  OXFORD.  45 

Dawson  declared  he  never  got  tired  of  lamb. 

And  Jack  politely  said  he  could  live  on  it  for  a  month. 

After  dinner,  Jack  rose  and  apologised  for  having  to  go 
away. 

"  I  have  an  appointment,"  he  said,  "to  read  with  my 
coach.  I  can  come  back  in  a  couple  of  hours." 

"Oh,  throw  him  over!"  cried  O'Rafferty.  "Tutors 
were  invented  to  worry  us  poor  undergraduates." 

"I  have  thrown  him  over  so  often  that  I  must  keep 
faith  this  time,  or  he  will  give  me  up." 

"Very  well,  go  thy  ways,"  said  O'Rafferty.  "We 
shall  expect  you,  when  you  have  done." 

"Mr.  Haricaway,"  said  Kemp,  "have  you  heard  the 
news,  may  I  ask?  " 

"What  is  it?" 

'The  report  about  the  University  Bank  in  High 
Street." 

"No." 

"Well,  I  have  heard  there  will  be  a  run  on  it,  and  as 
the  manager  is  friendly  to  university  men,  I  should  advise 
you  to  see  him  and  draw  out  quickly  your  cash." 

"Thanks,"  said  Jack,  and  putting  on  his  livery,  as  he 
called  his  cap  and  gown,  he  left  Magdalen,  and  walking 
quickly  soon  came  to  the  private  residence  of  the  man- 
ager of  the  University  Bank. 

Knocking  at  the  door,  he  was  answered  by  the  porter. 

"What  is  it,  sir  ?  "  inquired  that  personage. 

"I  want  to  see  the  manager,"  replied  Jack.  "Is  he 
here  ?  " 

"  Yes,  sir;  he  has  stopped  much  longer  than  usual  to- 
night. All  are  out  but  him  ;  he  is  still  in  his  private  room 
to  the  left." 

"Shall  I  go  in  ? "  asked  Jack. 

"Certainly,  sir.  Mr.  Barber,  our  manager,  is  always 
glad  to  see  college  gentlemen.  Just  knock  at  the  door, 
if  you  please. " 

While  he  was  talking  to  the  porter  in  the  imperfect  light 
of  the  passage,  Jack  fancied  he  felt  something  or  some 
one  crawl  past  him. 

Looking  towards  the  door,  he  indistinctly  saw  a  man 
rise  to  his  feet,  glide  down  the  steps,  and  disappear  in 
the  night. 

" Who  is  that?" 


46  JA  CK  HARK  A  WAY  AT  OXFORD. 

"Did  you  speak,  sir?  "  asked  the  porter. 

"  I  fancied  I  saw  some  one  leave  the  house,"  answered 
Jack. 

"  Not  likely,  sir.  I  should  have  seen  anyone  pass  me. 
It's  your  fancy,"  said  the  porter.  "  Go  straight  on,  sir, 
and  open  the  second  door  on  the  left." 

With  a  strange  misgiving  at  his  heart,  Jack  walked 
forward. 

Going  to  the  door,  he  knocked. 

There  was  no  answer. 

He  knocked  again  with  the  same  result,  and  becoming 
impatient,  he  pushed  open  the  door,  which  was  ajar. 

The  lamp  was  burning  with  a  shade  over  it,  close  to 
the  manager's  desk ;  and  though  the  table,  upon  which 
were  bundles  of  papers,  was  well-lighted,  the  other  part 
of  the  room  was  in  semi-darkness. 

For  a  moment  Jack  could  not  see  objects  distinctly. 

But  when  his  eyes  became  accustomed  to  the  obscur- 
ity, he  started  back. 

Lying  on  the  floor  was  the  body  of  the.  manager,  Mr. 
Barber,  in  an  apparently  insensible  condition. 

He  had  received  a  blow  over  the  head,  from  which  the 
blood  did  not  flow,  and  this  circumstance  induced  Jack 
to  believe  that  he  was  only  stunned,  and  not  seriously 
injured. 

An  open  safe  stood  near  the  wall. 

The  condition  of  its  contents  led  to  the  supposition  that 
it  had  been  recently  rifled,  and  a  large  amount  in  gold 
and  notes  abstracted  from  it. 

This  was  afterwards  found  to  be  the  case. 

Jack  became  alarmed. 

Should  the  manager  come  to  himself  and  see  him  there, 
he  would  suppose  he  was  the  thief. 

He  did  not  know  what  to  do  for  a  moment. 

Retreating  rapidly  to  the  passage,  he  encountered  the 
porter,  who  exclaimed — 

' '  Have  you  seen  Mr.  Barber,  sir  ?  " 

"Yes,"  said  Jack.  "  Robbery  if  not  murder  has  been 
committed  here  ;  but  hurry  in  and  see." 

"  I  must  have  your  name,  sir,  before  you  go." 

"Never  mind  my  name,"  answered  Jack.  "I'll  call 
again.  Good-night." 

With  this  he  hurriedly  quitted  the  house,  and  reached 


JA  CK  HARKA  WAY  AT  OXFORD.  47 

the  cold  str  et ;  but  his  brains  were  on  fire,  and  he  felt  in 
a  fever. 

"I  shall  know  him  again,"  chuckled  the  porter,  rubbing 
his  hands.  "Those  as  put  up  this  job  know  how  to  do 
things.  I'm  to  have  a  hundred  pounds  for  my  share,  and 
that  will  about  make  a  man  of  me.  Oh  !  that  one-armed 
un  is  as  smart  as  a  weasel.  He  can  do  it." 

He  paused  and  chuckled  again. 

"Want  to  fix  the  robbery  on  this  young  gent,  I  sup- 
pose, but  I'm  not  to  say  too  much  until  I'm  told.  All  I 
have  to  say  at  present  is  that  a  Oxford  gent  came  to  see 
the  manager.  He  went  in,  and  I  thought  I  heard  a  fall. 
He  came  out  quick,  and  wouldn't  give  his  name,  and 
looked  flurried,  telling  me  he  hadn't  seen  the  manager. 
I  might  recognise  him,  and  I  might  not.  That's  my 
lesson,  and  now  I'd  better  go  and  see  to  Mr.  Barber." 

If  Jack  could  have  heard  the  porter's  reflections,  he 
would  have  seen  that  he  was  the  victim  of  a  detestable 
plot. 

He  was  too  much  upset  to  go  and  read  with  his  tutor 
that  evening,  so  he  wended  his  way  to  his  rooms  to  be 
alone  and  think. 

All  at  once  he  felt  in  his  pocket  for  his  pass-book. 

It  was  gone. 

In  his  alarm  he  had  dropped  it  on  to  the  floor. 

Then  all  at  once  a  chain  of  evidence  rose  before  him. 

The  manager  of  the  University  Bank  had  been  attacked 
and  stunned  while  working  late,  and  during  his  insensi- 
bility much  valuable  property  had  been  abstracted. 

This  was  the  crime. 

Jack  had  been  told  by  Kemp  to  take  his  pass-book  to 
the  manager ;  he  had  put  it  in  his  room  ;  the  manager 
had  not  seen  him  or  it,  for  he  was  senseless. 

In  addition  to  this,  Jack  had  foolishly  said  nothing  to 
the  porter,  and  in  a  guilty  manner  had  refused  his  name. 

The  circumstances  looked  very  suspicious  against  him. 

Then  he  recollected  the  gliding  figure  coming  out  of 
the  house. 

"It  is  a  plot."  he  cried,  "it  is  a  plot  Why  cannot 
these  fellows  leave  me  alone?" 

As  he  spoke  half  aloud,  he  was  crossing  the  quad  of 
St.  Aldate's. 

A  hand  fell  upon  his  shoulder. 


48  JA  CK  HA  RKA  WAY  AT  OXFORD. 

He  started  again.     Were  the  officers  of  justice  after  him 
already? 

"  You  are  right,"  exclaimed  a  voice.      "  It  is  a  plot." 
Turning  round,  he  found  himself  confronted  by  Kemp. 


CHAPTER  LV. 

JACK   IN    THE    TOILS. 

KEMP'S  voice  was  never  at  any  time  very  melodious, 
but  it  grated  on  Jack's  ears  with  more  than  its  usual 
harshness. 

"  I  heard,"  said  Kemp,  "  as  I  came  along  from  Magda- 
len that  the  University  Bank  manager  had  been  robbed." 

"  What  has  that  to  do  with  me  ? "  asked  Jack,  hotly. 

"A  great  deal,  my  dear  fellow,"  answered  Kemp. 
"Shall  I  tell  you?" 

"If  you  like." 

Jack  had  a  strong  inclination  to  knock  Kemp  down, 
yet  he  wished  to  know  exactly  what  he  intended  to  do  ; 
then  he  might  defeat  his  enemy  as  he  had  done  before. 

"The  porter  at  the  house,"  replied  Kemp,  "  has  found 
the  manager  insensible  from  a  blow  on  the  head,  and  a 
large  sum  of  money  has  been  abstracted  from  a  safe.  I 
heard  the  porter  give  the  alarm  to  the  police  as  I  passed. " 

"Well?" 

"The  only  person  who  has  had  access  to  the  manager's 
room  since  the  last  of  the  clerks  left  was  a  university  man 
in  cap  and  gown,  and  he  declares  he  can  swear  to  his 
features." 

"  Well,"  said  Jack,  again  laconically. 

"You  have  just  quitted  the  house,"  continued  Kemp, 
"and  you  took  your  pass-book  with  you  there.  By  the 
way,  where  is  it  ?  " 

"I  dropped  it  in  the  manager's  room,"  replied  Jack, 
incautiously. 

A  flush  of  triumph  mantled  Kemp's  face. 

"Harkaway,"  said  Kemp,  bitterly;  "you  ought  to 
know  by  this  time  how  deadly  I  hate  you,  and  that  I 
would  never  lose  a  chance  of  ruining  you.  Have  you 


JA  CK  HARK  A  WAY  AT  OXFORD.  49 

forgotten  how  the  best  men  in  St.  Aldate's  cut  me  through 
you  ?  " 

"Serve  you  right." 

"Did  you  not,"  pursued  Kemp,  heedless  of  his  inter- 
ruption, "did  you  not  beat  me  when  I  rode  the  Duke  of 
Woodstock's  horse  ? " 

"Serve  you  right,"  again  said  Jack. 

"  Were  you  not  the  cause  of  Da  vis's  death  ?  " 

"No;  he  brought  it  on  himself.  He  was  as  big  a 
blackguard  as  you  are." 

"  I  know  I  am  what  you  and  your  friends  call  a  black- 
guard, but  I  want  to  drag  you  down  to  my  level,  and 
more  than  that,  to  get  some  money  out  of  you,"  returned 
Kemp. 

"  I  haven't  got  any,"  said  Jack  ;  "  but  I  have  a  mind 
to  knock  you  down." 

"That  doesn't  matter.  I  have  my  plan,  and  it  is 
necessary  for  me  to  have  you  in  my  power.  You  see  that 
I  can  easily  have  you  accused  of  this  robbery  and  sent 
to  prison." 

"  Hunston  did  it.  I  saw  the  one-armed  brute  leave  the 
house  !  "  cried  Jack,  indignantly,  shaking  Kemp  by  the 
collar. 

"You  can't  prove  it  because  you  haven't  any  evidence," 
replied  Kemp,  freeing  himself  from  Jack's  grasp. 

"Nor  can  you  prove  anything  against  me." 

"Can't  I?  Just  listen  to  what  I  have  to  say.  Not 
prove  anything?  That's  the  mistake  you  make.  I  have 
plotted  this  thing  for  a  month,  and  managed  that  it  should 
come  off  the  first  evening  I  met  you.  If  you  had  not 
been  a  fool,  you  would  have  cut  me  clean  long  ago, 
whenever  you  met  me." 

"Am  I  a  fool  ?  "  said  Jack,  biting  his  lips  with  vexation, 
and  again  advancing  with  his  arm  raised  to  strike  Kemp. 

' '  Of  course  you  are, "  said  Kemp,  moving  away  from 
Jack.  "All  honest,  straightforward,  open-hearted  fellows 
like  you  are.  or  men  like  me  couldn't  get  the  best  of  you." 

"Thank  ycu  for  the  compliment.  I  don't  think  I  ever 
did  a  really  scurvey  thing  in  my  life.  If  I  did,  it  wasn't 
Houe  purposely,"  said  Jack.  "But,"- he  added,  "you 
haven't  got  the  best  of  me,  yet." 

"It  looks  very  much  like  it,"  said  Kemp.  "The  man 
jiat  let  you  in  is  in  my  pay,  and  one  word  from  me  will 


5  o  JA  CK  HA  RKA  WAY  AT  OXFORD. 

make  him  pitch  upon  you  as  the  supposed  robber.  1 
prove  that  you  were  there  in  the  manager's  room.  I 
found  you  half  an  hour  afterwards  in  St.  Aldate's  quad. 
If  you  did  not  commit  the  robbery,  why  did  you  not  raise 
an  alarm  when  you  saw  the  state  the  manager  was  in  ? " 

Jack  was  silent. 

"Exactly  what  I  expected,  "said  Kemp.  "You  cannot 
answer. " 

"What  do  you  want?  I  defy  you."  exclaimed  Jack, 
angrily.  "Do  your  worst.  What  do  you  think  of  that? 
I'll  fight  you  !  "  he  continued,  his  passion  rising. 

"  No,  you  won't,"  replied  Kemp,  calmly.  "You  are  a 
little  raw  and  excited,  that  is  very  natural.  You  will 
sleep  over  it,  and  to-morrow  you  will  think  very  differ- 
ently. Go  to  your  rooms,  old  fellow,  and  expect  me  to 
breakfast  to-morrow." 

"  I  like  your  cheek,"  said  Jack. 

"I  shall  come  to  breakfast,  I  tell  you,  and  I  will  bet 
you  six  to  four  I  am  admitted.  Remember,  you  are  in 
my  power,  and  to-morrow  we  will  talk  over  matters." 

As  he  spoke,  Kemp  waved  his  hand  and  walked  away. 

Jack  was  left  standing  by  himself,  the  prey  of  conflict- 
ing emotions. 

Slowly  he  made  his  way  to  his  rooms. 

Kemp  had  laid  his  plans  well  this  time,  and  circum- 
stances had  favoured  him  to  such  an  extent  that  Jack  did 
not  see  his  way  out  of  the  difficulty. 

"Well,"  he  muttered,  "it's  no  use  breaking  one's 
heart.  I  will  wait  till  to-morrow.  Perhaps  I  shall  lick 
him  yet ;  but  it  is  an  infamous  thing  for  a  man  to  do.  I 
never  heard  or  read  of  such  a  cool,  calculating,  vindictive 
villain." 

To  his  surprise,  when  he  entered  his  rooms,  he  saw 
O'Rafferty  talking  to  Monday. 

"  Do  you  hear,  you  black  beauty  ?  "  said  the  Irishman. 
'  Yes,  sare,"  replied  Monday,  grinning  from  ear  to  ear. 
'If  you  say  a  word,  I'll  kill  you." 
'  Me  say  nothing,  sare. " 

'  There's  your  five  bob  then,"  answered  O'Rafferty. 
'  Hillo  !  "  exclaimed  Jack,  who  could  not  make  head  or 
tail  of  this  brief  conversation,  "who  expected  to  see  you 
here  ? " 

"As  you  did  not  come  back,  as  Kemp  went  away,  and 


JA CtC  HA KKA  IV A  Y  AT  OXFORD.  5 1 

as  the  lively  baronet  went  to  sleep  like  a  pig  on  my  sofa, " 
answered  O'Rafferty,  "I  thought  I  would  come  and  give 
you  a  hail  at  your  diggings." 

"  You  are  welcome/'  said  Jack.  "Sit  down  and  make 
your  miserable  life  happy.  What's  your  liquor  ?  " 

"I  never  drink  any  thing  less  than  champagne  when  I 
visit  my  friends,"  replied  O'Rafferty. 

"Monday,  open  some  Moet  and  Chan  don,"  said  Jack. 

"Excuse  me  a  moment,"  continued  Jack,  "will  you? 
I  want  to  ask  my  servant  a  question." 

"Certainly." 

"Have  you  been  to  see  Mr.  Harvey  to-night?"  asked 
Jack. 

"Yes,  sare." 

''How  is  he  ?" 

"  Him  much  better.  Missey  Hilda  say  the  doctor  very 
well  satisfied,  sare." 

"That's  all  right.  Did  you  take  the  grapes  and  things, 
and  say  I  should  come  to-morrow  ? " 

"Yes,  sare,  it  am  all  right." 

"Then  make  yourself  scarce,"  said  Jack. 

Monday  departed  and  left  the  collegians  together. 

Jack  wasn't  at  all  sorry  of  his  new  friend's  society,  for 
he  wanted  some  one  to  cheer  him  up. 

Kemp's  threats  lay  upon  him  like  a  nightmare. 

"Now,"  exclaimed  O'Rafferty,  "you  must  come  back 
with  me  ;  coffee  will  be  ready  at  nine,  if  my  scout  is  sober 
enough  to  remember  my  orders." 

In  vain  Jack  pleaded  a  headache  ;  his  friend  would 
take  no  refusal,  and  they  walked  back  to  Magdalen. 

During  the  walk  O'Rafferty  said — 

"I  am  going  to  a  ball  in  a  week  or  two,  and  if  you 
will  come  with  me,  you  shall  see  some  fun.  Mrs. 
Travers " 

"Who?"  asked  Jack,  quickly. 

"Mrs.  Travers,  of  Oakley  Wood,  near  here,  has  sent 
me  an  invitation.  Do  you  know  her?  " 

' '  I  have  heard  the  name, "  replied  Jack,  thinking  to  have 
some  fun  if  he  concealed  the  actual  state  of  his  intimacy 
in  that  quarter. 

"Oh,  I  am  hand  and  glove  there,"  continued  the  vola- 
tile Irishman.  "We  are  related.  What  the  deuce  the 
exact  degree  of  relationship  is  I  can't  tell  you,  but  I  have 


52  IACK  HARKAWAY  AT  OXFORD. 

a  vague  idea  that  my  mother  and  Mrs.  Travers  were  some- 
body's nieces,  and  if  that  wouldn't  make  me  a  sort  of 
cousin  of  Mrs.  Travers,  why,  by  jabers,  I  don't  under- 
stand the  case  at  all,  at  all." 

"  I'll  accompany  you  with  pleasure,"  replied  Jack,  who 
said  nothing  about  the  invitation  he  had  received  already 
from  Emily. 

"You  shall,  me  boy,"  replied  O'Rafferty. 

' '  What  sort  of  people  are  they  ?  " 

"Mrs.  Travers  is  a  widder,  you  know,"  answered 
O'Rafferty,  who  spoke  with  a  little  of  the  Irish  brogue 
after  indulging  in  a  bottle  or  two  of  wine ;  "  and  she  lives 
with  a  companion,  a  sweet,  pretty  colleen  they  call 
Emily." 

Jack  smiled  to  himself. 

"Whist,  my  boy !"  said  the  Irishman.  "No  poach- 
ing there.  I'm  smitten,  and  I  fancy  that  Emily  is  rather 
pleased  with  your  humble  servant's  addresses." 

"The  deuce  she  is  !  "  cried  Jack. 

"Yes,"  continued  O'Rafferty.  "I've  got  a  way  with 
me,  Harkaway,  that  knocks  all  the  women  over  before 
me.  I've  only  got  to  whisper  in  their  little  pink  ears, 
give  them  a  squeeze  of  their  tiny  hands,  pay  them  a  few 
compliments,  and  they  fall  before  me  like  pheasants  be- 
fore a  breechloader  in  a  hot  corner  in  a  wood." 

"  Does  Emily  really  like  you  ? "  inquired  Jack. 

The  foolish  fellow  was  actually  getting  jealous. 

"  Like  me  ?  "  said  O'Rafferty,  who  was  one  of  those  men 
who  are  very  fond  of  talking  about  ladies,  and  declaring 
that  they  are  loved,  though  the  ladies  have  only  been 
decently  civil  to  them. 

"Yes." 

"Is  it,  does  she  like  me?  Me,  dear  boy,  she's  madly 
in  love  with  me.  I  don't  know  that  it  will  ever  come  to 
anything,  because,  you  see,  she  has  no  chips,  and  being 
poor  myself,  I  want  the  money." 

Jack  felt  inclined  to  kick  him. 

But  he  restrained  the  impulse. 

"You  must  introduce  me  to  Emily,"  he  answered.  "I 
fancy  I  have  heard  a  friend  of  mine  speak  of  her.  and  say 
that  she  was  engaged  to  some  university  man. " 

' '  Doesn't  care  a  snap  of  the  finger  for  him,  sorr,  *  cried 
the  Irishman,  excitedly. 


JA CK  HARKA  WAY  AT  OXFORD,  53 

"Indeed,"  said  Jack,  slowly. 

"No,  no  ;  I'm  A  i  there.     You  shall  very  soon  see." 

Jack  could  not  help  smiling,  because  he  knew  very 
well  that  Emily  was  really  devoted  to  him,  and  that 
O'Rafferty  was  only  talking  nonsense  in  speaking  as  he 
did. 

If  he  could  not  believe  in  Emily's  love,  he  would  cease 
to  believe  in  anything  at  all. 

Wishing  to  push  him  a  little  further,  he  said — 

"Is  this  Miss  Emily  pretty  ?  " 

"Well,  me  boy,  she's  not  strictly  beautiful  ;  her  eyes 
are  good,  but  her  mouth's  bad,  rather  too  large,  and  her 
eyes  are  not  quite  big  enough  ;  her  nose,  to  my  mind,  turns 
up  a  bit,  and  her  hair  is  rather  coarse." 

Again  the  inclination  to  kick  O'Rafferty  came  over  Jack. 

"  I'll  tell  her  what  you  say,"  he  exclaimed. 

"Och!  and  she  won't  belave  a  word  of  it,  not  she," 
replied  O'Rafferty.  "  I'm  the  boy  in  that  quarter,  and  if 
you  cut  me  out,  I'll  give  you  a  five-pound  note,  poor  as 
I  am." 

"Will  you?" 

"Yes." 

"  That's  a  wager.  If  Emily  doesn't  speak  to  you  all 
the  evening  of  the  ball,  without  my  permission,  you  pay 
n;e  five  pounds." 

"That's  it,"  said  O'Rafferty. 

"Stake  the  money,"  said  Jack. 

"That  would  puzzle  a  sinner  like  meself,"  answered 
O'Rafferty.  "For  I  take  the  saints  to  witness  that  I 
haven't  so  much  in  my  possession  by  four  pounds  nine- 
teen and  sixpence." 

"  Nonsense  !  "  said  Jack.      "Are  you  really  hard  up  ? " 

"  Stumped,  me  boy.  Hard  up's  no  name  for  it,  and 
I'm  too  proud  to  beg  for  it." 

"Beg!" 

"  I  call  borrowing  begging  ;  there  is  no  humbug  about' 
me.  Borrowing  money  is  the  polite  way  of  begging." 

Jack  put  his  hand  in  his  pocket,  and  drawing  out  two 
ten-pound  notes,  gave  them  to  O'Rafferty. 

"  Will  you  let  me  lend  you  these  ?  "  he  said. 

O'Rafferty  looked  at  him  for  a  moment,  as  they  stood  in 
the  middle  of  the  High  Street,  being  about  to  come  ovc-r 
to  Magdalen. 


54  JACK  HARK  A  WAY  AT  OXFORD. 

Then  he  burst  into  a  fit  of  uncontrollable  laughter. 
This  Jack  could  not  understand. 


CHAPTER  LVI. 
KEMP'S  PROMISED  VISIT. 

"  WHAT'S  the  matter  ?  "  asked  Jack.  ' '  I  never  saw  such 
a  funny  fellow  as  you  are.  I  offer  to  lend  you  a  couple 
of  tenners,  and  you  laugh  at  me." 

"I  can't  help  it,  me  dear  boy,"  replied  O'Rafferty. 
"  It's  taking  your  last  good-bye  of  them  ye  are." 

"How's  that?" 

"  Hand  them  over.  I'm  proud,  but  I'll  pay  you  in  some 
way  or  other.  If  ye  don't  get  it  in  meal,  ye  shall  have  it 
in  malt,  but  me  humble  means  never  allow  me  to  pay  in 
cash." 

"  Never  mind  that ;  pay  me  when  you  can,"  said  Jack, 
good-naturedly. 

"That'll  be  when  I  marry  an  heiress.  It  will  come 
some  day.  I've  got  such  a  winning  way  with  me." 

O'Rafferty  took  the  notes  and  put  them  in  his  pocket. 

They  were  now  reaching  the  Irishman's  room,  and  at 
the  foot  of  the  staircase,  O'Rafferty  seized  Jack's  hand 
and  wrung  it. 

"  You're  a  real  good  fellow,"  he  whispered.  "  I  never 
pay,  I've  told  you  that ;  but  by  the  piper  that  played  before 
Moses,  I  won't  forget  ye." 

Jack  returned  the  pressure  of  his  hand,  feeling  that  if 
the  Irishman  was  poor  and  somewhat  reckless,  he  wasn't 
bad-hearted,  and  that  he  could  rely  upon  his  friendship 
and  native  wit  in  a  crisis. 

"  Heaven  knows, "  he  muttered  to  himself,  "that  I  want 
a  friend  badly  enough  just  now." 

When  they  entered  O'Rafferty's  sitting-room,  they  found 
Sir  Sydney  Dawson  still  asleep  on  the  sofa. 

"Hist!"  exclaimed  the  Irishman,  taking  up  a  cham- 
pagne cork  and  blacking  its  edge  in  the  fire. 

He  approached  Sir  Sydney  and  deliberately  ornamented 
the  sleeping  baronet's  cheeks,  nose  and  forehead  with 
black  smudges. 


JA  CK  HARK  A  WAY  AT  OXFORD.  55 

"That's  quite  artistic,  I  flatter  myself,"  he  exclaimed. 

Presently  the  baronet,  hearing  voices,  woke  up  and 
yawned. 

"I've  been  asleep,  it  seems  to  me,"  he  said.  "  Really 
I  must  apologise  for  my  uncouth  behaviour." 

He  walked  to  the  fireplace,  and  looked  in  the  glass. 

In  a  moment  he  saw  that  some  one  had  been  playing  a 
trick  upon  him. 

"  Who  has  been  amusing  himself  at  my  expense?"  he 
inquired,  as  an  angry  flush  crossed  his  face. 

No  one  made  any  answer. 

"Mr.  O'Rafferty,"  continued  Dawson,  "  my  face  has 
been  blackened  whilst  I  slept,  and  I  must  tell  you  that  if 
you  are  the  author  of  what  I  call  an  outrage,  it  is  a  gross 
breach  of  hospitality." 

"Me  dear  fellow,"  replied  O'Rafferty,  "it  was  only  a 
joke. " 

"  I  don't  like  such  jokes." 

"  Well,  well,  it  will  wash  off." 

"  This  is  the  first  time  I  have  seen  you,"  continued 
Sir  Sydney,  "  and  by  Jove  !  I'll  take  care  it  is  the  last. 
If  you  were  not  in  your  own  room,  I  don't  know  that  I 
shouldn't  kick  you. '' 

"Don't  let  thaf  be  any  obstacle,"  said  the  Irishman, 
readily.  "  I'll  go  !nto  the  quad  and  wait  for  you." 

Turning  to  Jack    Sir  Sydney  said,  in  an  angry  tone — 

"  I  don't  thank  you  either,  Harkaway.  This  sort  of 
thing  is  not  friendly,  and  I  am  sure  you  are  the  last  to 
approve  of  buffooning." 

Jack  did  not  reply. 

"  You  at  least  stood  by  and  saw  it  done." 

"Perhaps  I  ws,s  wrong,"  said  O'Rafferty,  "and  I 
apologise,  me  boy  If  it  comes  to  rudeness,  you  know, 
why,  you  were  rude  to  sleep  when  you  came  to  visit  me. 
You  admitted  as  ruuch  just  now.  Go  into  my  bedroom 
and  wash  it  off." 

Sir  Sydney  did  s»%  and  then  put  on  his  cap  and  gown. 

Making  a  stiff  bow,  he  moved  to  the  door. 

"  Don't  go,  Sir  Sydney,"  said  O'Rafferty. 

"  I  intend  to  go,  and  I  will  take  very  good  care  our 
acquaintance  ends  here,"  replied  the  baronet.  "  I  detest 
practical  jokes." 

"  And  I  love  them.     See  the   difference  between   us 


56  JACK  HARKA  WAY  AT  OXFORD. 

Good-night,  me  boy,  if,  you  won't  stop.     We  shall  sur- 
vive the  affliction,"  said  O'Rafferty. 

Sir  Sydney  went  away  in  high  dudgeon,  and  Jack  did 
not  stay  long  after  him. 

The  latter  had  great  difficulty  in  sleeping  that  night, 
for  his  mind  was  at  work,  and  he  kept  on  thinking  of 
Kemp  and  the  new  difficulty  in  which  he  had  involved  him. 

Nearly  all  night  he  lay  awake. 

Towards  daybreak  he  fell  into  an  uneasy  slumber,  which 
was  broken  by  a  loud  cock-crow. 

Currook,  currook,  currook  a  roo-o-o. 

"  Bless  the  fowls,"  he  said,  crossly.  "  I  didn't  know 
anyone  kept  such  things  in  college.  "  I'll  complain  to 
the  dons." 

Again  rang  out  the  shrill  note. 

Currook,  a  roo,  a  roo-o. 

Jack  jumped  out  of  bed  and  was  convinced  that  the 
sound  came  from  some  quarter  of  his  own  apartments. 

A  diligent  search  informed  him  that  at  least  two  cocks 
were  shut  up  in  his  cupboard. 

He  looked  every  where  for  the  key,  but  could  not  find  it. 

Reflecting  a  moment,  he  remembered  the  conversation 
between  Monday  and  O'Rafferty. 

"That's  it,"  he  exclaimed.  "The  infernal  Irishman 
has  bribed  Monday  to  say  nothing  about  it,  and  he  hass 
brought  some  cocks,  and  perhaps  some  hens,  and  puf; 
them  in  my  cupboard.  Bother  him." 

Sleep  was  out  of  the  question. 

The  cocks  kept  on  crowing  one  after  the  other. 

Currook,  c'rook,  c'roo-o-o  sounded  every  half-minute, 
until  poor  Jack  was  very  nearly  distracted. 

He  tried  to  kick  in  one  of  the  panels  of  the  cupboard, 
which  for  some  time  resisted  his  efforts. 

At  last  it  gave  way. 

A  stately  game-cock  stepped  out  and  flapped  it  wings, 
singing  "  currook,  curr-oo-o." 

It  was  followed  by  another. 

Jack  made  a  dash  at  the  first  one,  which  becoming 
alarmed,  flew  on  the  mantelpiece  and  knocked  down  the 
clock  and  two  lustres  under  a  glass  shade. 

Smash  went  the  lustres. 

Away  flew  the  cocks,  with  Jack  after  them,  round  and 
round  the  room. 


JA  CK  HA  RKA  WA  Y  AT  OXFORD.  5  7 

He  tumbled  over  the  furniture,  broke  chairs,  upset  the 
table,  smashing  several  bottles  and  glasses,  and  at  last 
caught  one  cock  as  it  flew  up  against  a  picture,  which  it 
brought  to  the  ground  with  a  doleful  crash. 

A  second  chase  had  the  same  result. 

Both  birds  were  eventually  captured  and  secured. 

It  seemed  a  very  long  time  till  Monday  made  his  ap- 
pearance. 

Jack  saw  him  and  threw  the  teapot  at  his  head. 

"  Mind  um  head,  Mast'  Jack,"  cried  Monday,  duckirrg 
on  one  side. 

The  teapot  was  followed  by  the  milk-jug,  which  struck 
him  on  the  forehead  and  covered  him  with  its  contents. 

"  What  um  throw  things  for,  sare  ?  "  asked  Monday, 
dripping  with  milk. 

"  You  villain,"  said  Jack  ;  "  you  took  a  bribe  to  let 
Mr.  O'Rafferty  put  cocks  in  my  cupboard,  and  keep  me 
awake  the  whole  night." 

Monday  held  down  his  head  in  a  very  crestfallen  way. 

He  had  been  found  out. 

"  Get  out  of  my  sight,  and  don't  let  me  see  you  again 
all  day,"  continued  Jack  ;  "  if  you  do,  something  will 
happen  to  you." 

"  But,  Mast'  Jack " 

"  You  dare  to  argue  with  me,  and  see  what  you'll  get. 
Be  off." 

Monday  slunk  away,  much  to  Buster's  gratification,  for 
the  latter  was  delighted  with  his  disgrace. 

"  Buster,"  said  Jack. 

"  Yes,  sir,"  replied  the  scout. 

"  If  anyone  comes,  say  I'm  not  up,  and  can't  be  dis- 
turbed. Do  you  hear  ?  " 

"  Cert'n'y,  sir;  not  at  home  to  nobody." 

Monday,  in  going  away,  had  left  the  door  open,  which 
pemitted  a  man  to  enter  without  knocking. 

"  You  forget  me,"  he  said,  with  a  blank  smile. 

Jack  turned  his  worn  and  haggard  face  towards  him, 
and  recognized  Kemp. 

"  I  told  you  I  should  come  to  breakfast.  Sorry  I  am 
late,  but  I  daresay  your  scout  can  knock  me  up  an  an- 
chovy toast  and  a  couple  of  eggs,"  continued  Kemp. 

Jack  hesitated  a  moment. 

Then  turning  to  the  scout,  he  said — 


58  JA CK  IIARJtA WAY  AT  OXFORD. 

"  Get  Mr.  Kemp  some  breakfast;  after  that  you  can 
go  and  sport  my  oak." 

In  ten  minutes  the  breakfast  was  ready,  the  outer  door 
shut,  and  Jack  alone  with  his  enemy. 

Kemp  had  paid  his  promised  visit. 

Lighting  a  pipe,  he  waited  till  Kemp  had  just  finished 
his  breakfast,  and  then  said — 

"  Now,  sir,  I  am  at  your  service.  Make  your  business 
as  short  as  possible,  or  I  shall  not  answer  for  the  con- 
sequences. " 

Kemp  deliberately  took  out  his  cigar-case,  lighted  a 
cigar,  and  crossing  his  legs  as  he  threw  himself  back  in  an 
arm-chair,  prepared  to  speak. 


CHAPTER   LVII. 


JACK    OUTWITS     KEMP. 

HAVING  finished  his  breakfast  with  a  much  better  appe- 
tite than  Harkaway  had  found  for  his,  Kemp  smoked  his 
cigar  slowly,  and  began  business. 

"  I  suppose,"  he  said,  "  that  you  have  thought  over 
the  state  of  affairs,  and  come  to  the  only  possible  con- 
clusion ?  " 

"  What  is  that?  "  asked  Jack. 

"  Simply,  that  you  are  in  my  power,  and  are  fixed  so 
tightly  that  you  can  not  escape." 

"  You  have  concocted  a  very  strong  plot,"  Jack  said. 

"  Never  mind  the  violent  adjectives.  I  am  thick- 
skinned,  and  don't  mind  abuse.  It  only  wastes  time." 

"  Well,"  exclaimed  Jack,  "  what  do  you  want  me  to 
do?" 

"  If  you  remain  quiet,  and  put  yourself  in  my  hands, 
I  will  tell  you.  " 

There  was  no  reply. 

"  Silence  gives  consent.  Am  I  to  suppose  you  are 
willing  to  buy  my  forbearance?  "  asked  Kemp. 

jack  did  not  reply. 

He  was  concocting  a  scheme  by  which  he  should  en- 
trap Kemp  and  Hunston. 

"You  can't  prove  your  innocence,"  Kemp  continued. 


JA  CK  HARKA  WAY  AT  OXFORD ,  59 

"  You  went  to  the  bank,  and  the  porter  will  swear  to  you 
as  the  supposed  robber  if  I  tell  him  to.  If  I  do  not  tell 
him,  he  will  not  say  any  thing." 

"  What  do  you  want  ?  "  cried  Jack. 

"  How  much  money  can  you  get?" 

Jack  thought  a  moment. 

"  I  don't  think  I  can  get  any,"  he  answered.  "All 
I  have  is  fifty  pounds,  and  that  is  to  last  me  some  time." 

"  Give  it  me  ;  you  must  get  into  debt.  I  want  five 
hundred.  Write  home  for  some,  and  borrow  the  rest." 

"  By  Jove  !  "  exclaimed  Jack,  between  his  teeth,  "  you 
are  a  villain." 

"  Of  course  I  am,  and  I  feel  proud  of  it.  Give  me  the 
cheque." 

"If  I  do,  it  will  be  only  on  certain  conditions." 

"Let  me  have  the  money  first,"  replied  Kemp  ;  "then, 
if  your  conditions  are  not  unreasonable,  I  will  agree  to 
them." 

"These  are  my  conditions.  I  shall  have  to  write  home 
for  the  greater  part  of  the  cash,  and  the  governor  will  very 
likely  send  notes.  Now  I  want  you  to  keep  those  notes 
in  hand.  Keep  them  from  circulation  for  some  time,  for 
I  don't  wish  the  governor  to  think  I  am  going  ahead  too 
fast." 

Kemp  thought  a  time. 

At  first  Jack's  coolness  puzzled  him,  then  he  ascribed  it 
to  perfect  recklessness,  for  was  not  Jack  about  to  commit 
himself  still  more  deeply  by  giving  him  the  hush-money 
demanded. 

"1  agree,"  said  he.  "I  am  not  hard  up  for  cash  at 
present,  and  will  keep  the  notes  three  months,  at  the  end 
of  which  time  they  will  be  paid  into  the  bank." 

This  being  settled,  an  appointment  was  made  for  the 
second  morning  from  that,  and  the  two  parted. 

The  eventful  morning  came. 

Jack  was  prepared  with  the  notes,  the  numbers  of  which 
he  had  copied. 

He  had  also  done  some  thing  to  the  notes,  but  what 
must  be  a  secret  for  the  present. 

Kemp  came. 

"Well,  have  you  the  cash  ?  "  he  demanded. 

"  Yes,"  said  Jack  ;  "it  is  here." 

And  he  handed  the  other  a  roll  of  notes. 


60  JACK  HARKA  WAY  AT  OXFORD. 

Kemp  counted  them,  examined  the  water  marks,  and 
found  everything  correct. 

"By-bye  !  "  said  he.      "  You  will  see  me  at  the  ball." 

He  sauntered  out  and  Jack  followed  him. 

In  the  quadrangle  a  tailor  met  Kemp. 

"  Really,  sir,  I  must  have  money,"  he  said. 

"Well,  here  is  a  twenty-pound  note  for  you.  Be  off," 
said  Kemp,  handing  him  one  of  those  he  had  just  received 
from  Jack,  who  at  that  moment  stepped  forward. 

"Oblige  me,  Mr.  Schultz,  by  making  a  memorandum 
of  the  number  and  date  of  that  note,"  said  he. 

"What  folly  is  this?"  Kemp  asked,  fiercely. 

"Silence  !  I  mean  to  have  my  own  way  a  little,"  said 
Jack. 

The  astonished  knight  of  the  needle,  who  did  not  know 
what  to  make  of  this,  read  aloud  from  the  face  of  the 
note — 

"No.  D.  F.  120,009." 

"Good,"  said  Jack,  making  a  note  in  his  book. 

The  tailor  bowed,  and  hastened  away,  and  Jack,  turn- 
ing to  Kemp,  said — 

"You  must  understand,  Mr.  Kemp,  that  I  will  have 
you  keep  your  promise.  By  taking  the  money  of  me,  as 
the  price  of  silence,  you  have  reduced  yourself  to  the 
position  of  my  accomplice  in  any  crime  I  may  have  com- 
mitted, or,  at  any  rate,  you  are  an  accessory  after  the 
fact." 

"Curse  you  !  "  said  Kemp.  " I  did  not  think  you  were 
so  artful." 

He  slunk  away,  and  Jack  proceeded  after  the  tailor, 
who  was  easily  persuaded  to  exchange  his  bank-note  for 
another  which  our  hero  offered  him. 

Jack  went  into  an  hotel  to  have  some  refreshmen4:. 

The  topic  of  conversation  there  and  everywhere  was 
the  bank  robbery. 

Things  were  coming  to  a  pretty  pass  in  Oxford,  every- 
body thought. 

First  of  all  an  undergraduate  was  stabbed  on  the  Iffley 
Road  ;  then  the  Jew,  Manasses,  was  murdered  for  plunder, 
and  after  that  came  the  attack  on  the  bank  manager  and 
the  robbery  of  the  safe. 

As  for  Mr.  Barber,  the  manager,  he  could  remember 
nothing. 


JA  CK  HA  RKA  WAY  AT  OXr  ORD.  6 1 

He  was  writing-  letters  quietly  at  his  desk,  when  wn 
attack  was  made  upon  him  from  behind,  which  caused 
him  to  lose  his  senses,  and  he  recollected  nothing  more 
until  the  porter  and  a  policeman  were  bathing  his  face 
with  cold  water. 

The  porter  declared  that  a  university  gentleman  had 
called  at  the  bank  about  the  time  the  robbery  must  have 
been  committed,  and  had  gone  in  and  out  of  the  private 
room. 

He  thought  he  could  identify  the  gentleman. 

It  was  impossible  that  all  the  men  up  at  Oxford  should 
be  mustered  together  like  malefactors,  so  that  he  might 
pick  out  the  delinquent. 

All  that  could  be  done  was  for  the  police  to  take  his 
description  of  the  collegian. 

This  was  a  young  man  rather  stout,  good-looking, 
amiable  in  appearance,  a  moustache  and  whiskers  just 
making  their  appcr.rance,  shaven  chin,  well  dressed,  and 
having  a  strong  mnnly  voice. 

As  there  were  several  score  of  men  in  the  university 
who  answered  to  this  description,  the  police  did  not  see 
their  way. 

Most  people  disbelieved  the  porter's  story,  and  declared 
their  opinion  that  he  himself  was  connected  with  the 
robbery. 

Jack  returned  to  his  rooms. 

He  had  got  the  best  of  Kemp. 

In  his  own  mind  he  resolved  that  he  would  not  rest  till 
he  had  brought  the  whole  matter  to  light. 


CHAPTER  LVIII. 

MRS.     TRAVERS'     PARTY. 

JACK  had  not  been  home  long  before  Sir  Sydney  Dawson 
called  upon  him. 

Harkaway  had,  with  the  spirit  of  youth,  recovered  his 
good  temper. 

Advancing  to  Dawson,  he  shook  his  hand,  and  said — 

"  This  is  jolly  of  you.  I  thought  you  wouldn't  cut  me 
because  O'Rafferty  played  jokes. " 


62  JACK  HARKA KAY  AT  OXFORD. 

"I  don't  like  it,  though.  You  must  shunt  that  man," 
replied  the  baronet. 

"He  didn't  mean  anything." 

"The  fellow  is  a  perfect  mountebank,  a  regular  Hotten- 
tot. I  shall  have  a  row  with  him  when  I  meet  him.  I 
couldn't  kick  up  a  row  in  the  man's  own  room  when  I 
was  his  guest,  but  I  felt  most  infernally  riled." 

"Enough  to  make  you  ;  but  it's  only  his  way." 

"And  a  very  unpleasant  way,  too.  I  never  allow  any- 
body to  take  liberties  with  me.  I  can't  bear  being 
touched,"  exclaimed  Sir  Sydney. 

"  He  is  always  playing  tricks  upon  somebody." 

"  I'll  lay  odds  he  gets  his  head  punched.  Has  he  been 
up  long?" 

"I  don't  know.  I  only  met  him  yesterday  for  the  first 
time,"  said  Jack. 

"Upon  my  word,  Harkaway,  you  are  a  most  remark- 
able fellow,"  replied  Sir  Sydney.  "You  pick  up  a  man 
who  is  nobody-knows-who,  and  go  to  dine  with  him  the 
same  day,  and,  more  than  that,  you  take  me,  the  most 
particular  man  in  Oxford.  I  shall  fight  shy  of  your  invita- 
tions in  future.'' 

"  I  didn't  know  that  any  harm  would  come  of  it." 

"You've  got  common  sense,  haven't  you?  " 

"  Hope  so." 

"Use  it  then  in  future.  Why  don't  you  make  a  friend 
of  your  scout,  or  pick  up  a  potman  at  a  pub.  By  Jove  ! 
the  'varsity  is  coming  to  some  thing,"  said  Sir  Sydney, 
stretching  himself  on  a  s^fa. 

"I  fancied  that  every  Oxford  man  was  a  gentleman," 
replied  Jack. 

"Then  you  make  a  hugs  mistake.  The  place  swarms 
with  cads.  You  can't  be  too  particular.  Some  colleges 
are  more  select  than  others,  but  the  cads  creep  in  every- 
where. Oxford  is  public,  you  know,  and  coming  up  is 
only  a  matter  of  money,  or  sometimes  cheek,  for  fellows 
come  up  upon  next  to  nothing,  try  for  money  prizes,  get 
into  debt,  and,  if  they  fail,  take  their  names  off,  and  the 
Oxonian  world  sees  them  no  more." 

"  You  are  becoming  quite  poetical,"  said  Jack,  laugh- 
ing. 

Sir  Sydney  was  about  to  reply,  when  Monday  ushered 
in  O'Rafferty,  who  seemed  in  high  spirits. 


JA  CK  HARK  A  WAY  AT  OXFORD.  63 

"Ah,  Harkaway,"  he  exclaimed,  "how  do;  Sir  Syd- 
ney, your  servant.  Sorry  for  the  cork  business  last  night ; 
but  I'm  a  county  Cork  man.  Ha,  ha  !  that  accounts  for 
it ;  and  at  least  it  must  be  a  satisfaction  to  you  to  know 
that  you  are  not  so  black  as  you're  painted.  Ha,  ha,  ha ! " 

"  My  good  sir,"  said  Sir  Sydney,  raising  himself  on  his 
elbow,  and  staring  insolently  at  the  Irishman  through  an 
eye-glass,  "I  will  thank  you  to  address  your  conversa- 
tion to  Mr.  Harkaway,  whose  friend  you  appear  to  be." 

Turning  to  Jack,  O'Rafferty  exclaimed — 

"That  is  a  very  disagreeable  friend  of  yours.  Can't 
you  get  rid  of  him  ? " 

Sir  Sydney  got  up  angrily. 

"I'll  bet  a  pound  to  a  penny,"  he  said,  "you  are  not 
a  gentleman." 

"That's  what  you  may  call  sovereign  contempt," 
replied  the  Irishman.  "But  really  you  are  very  difficult 
to  please.  You  tell  me  to  talk  to  Harkaway,  and  then 
you  are  not  satisfied." 

Sir  Sydney  Dawson  took  his  handkerchief  from  his 
pocket,  dusted  the  sole  of  his  boot  with  it,  and  then  coolly 
threw  it  in  O'Rafferty's  face. 

The  Irishman's  blood  boiled. 

He  could  not  bear  such  an  insult  as  this. 

Throwing  himself  upon  Dawson,  he  bore  him  to  the 
earth,  and  would  have  pummelled  him  had  not  Jack 
dragged  him  off. 

Jack  seemed  to  have  the  strength  of  two  ordinary  men, 

Standing  between  them,  the  giant  of  the  river  and 
cricket-field  said — 

"Gentlemen,  I  will  have  no  fighting  in  my  rooms." 

The  two  men  glared  at  one  another. 

"Understand  this,"  continued  Jack,  "  that  I  will  floor 
the  first  one  who  attempts  to  strike  the  other." 

"I  am  satisfied,''  said  Sir  Sydney,  shrugging  his  shoul- 
ders, adjusting  his  gown,  and  putting  on  his  cap,  which 
had  fallen  off  in  the  struggle. 

He  moved  towards  the  door,  where  he  stopped. 

"  I  am  very  sorry,  Mr.  Harkaway,"  he  continued,  "  to 
have  been  the  cause  of  a  disgraceful  riot  in  your  place, 
but  the  fault  is  not  mine." 

"I'll  be  hanged  if  it's  mine,"  said  O'Rafferty.  "I 
«omc  with  an  apology,  and,  be  jabers,  I'm  insulted. 


64  JACK  HARK  A  WAY  AT  OXFORD. 

Haven't  I  the  best  Irish  blood  in  my  veins  ?  Wasn't  me 
ancestors  kings  ?  By  the  powers " 

"  O'Rafferty,  oblige  me  by  holding  your  tongue,"  said 
Jack. 

"Or  ye'll  knock  me  down,  eh?" 

"  I  will,  by  Jove." 

"That's  an  oath,"  exclaimed  the  Irishman.  "  You  are 
too  big  for  me,  and  I've  no  quarrel  with  you,  but  as  for 
that  spalpeen  with  the  tuft  tassel,  if  ever  I  ^etthe  chance, 
I'll  kick  him  from  here  to  the  bogs  of  Keny. :' 

Sir  Sydney,  with  his  feathers  ruffled,  went  awr.y,  and 
the  Irishman  threw  himself  into  a  chair,  bursting  out 
laughing. 

"I  think  I  shook  all  the  wind  out  of  him,"  he  :aid. 
"But  after  all  it  wr.s  me  own  fault.  If  y.^u  will  play 
jokes,  you  must  take  the  consequences.  I  lost  one  of 
my  front  teeth  once  through  it,  but  I'll  !:ape  on  till  the 
day  of  me  death,  and  now  what  ohall  I  do  with  his 
rag  ? " 

He  looked  at  the  handkerchief  which  had  been  so  inso- 
lently tossed  at  him. 

"I'll  hang  it  out  of  me  window,  which  looks  on  the 
High,  and  I'll  write  on  a  piece  of  paper,  '  The  White 
flag,  Sir  Sydney  Da wson's  colours.'  If  he  don't  call  me 
out  after  that  he's  a  cur." 

' '  I  don't  think  Da wson  will  fight, "  replied  Jack. 

"Why  not?" 

"  His  nerves  are  shaky,  and  it's  tit  for  tat  after  all." 

"So  it  is.  We'll  let  it  alone,  but  I'll  hang  the  flag  out 
No,  I  won't,  I'll  play  him  another  practical  joke,"  ex- 
claimed O'Rafferty  laughing. 

' '  I  wish  you  had  been  at  the — somewhere  before  you 
put  those  cocks  in  my  cupboard,"  said  Jack. 

"I,  dear  boy?"  replied  O'Rafferty  with  affected  sim- 
plicity. 

"You  know  you  did  it." 

"Well,  I  plead  guilty.     Did  you  sleep  well  ?  " 

"Not  a  wink  all  night.  So  if  you'll  oblige  me  by  tak- 
ing your  hook,  I'll  turn  in,"  replied  Jack. 

"  All  right,  don't  forget  the  Travers'  ball.  I've  got  lots 
of  fun  on  there,  and  I'll  introduce  you  to  Emily,  the  divine 
little  Emily." 

"Good-bye,"  said  Jack  impatiently. 


JACK HARKA  WAY  AT  OXFORD.  65 

"You're  in  a  deuce  of  a  hurry  to  get  rid  of  me,"  cried 
G'Rafferty.  "  But  no  matter;  I'm  o,  p,  h." 

"What's  that?" 

"Off  ;  that's  our  way  of  spelling  it.     Bye-bye." 

The  Irishman  went  out  of  the  room,  and  Jack,  undress- 
ing himself,  turned  into  bed  to  get  that  rest  of  which  he 
stood  so  much  in  need. 

The  next  week  passed  without  any  further  incident. 

Jack  recovered  his  serenity,  and  completed  the  insur- 
ance of  his  life  in  Kemp's  favour,  by  which  Kemp  would 
gain  three  thousand  pounds,  if  Harkaway  died. 

By  this  means  Kemp  had  a  direct  interest  in  Jack's 
death. 

Harvey  grew  gradually  better,  though  he  could  no* 
leave  his  room  yet. 

All  his  friends  visited  him  daily,  and  Hilda  waited  'up- 
on him  like  a  nurse,  in  a  way  that  showed  that  sho  took 
liiore  than  a  sisterly  interest  in  him. 

The  rich  and  lovely  widow  of  th^  Duke  of  Woodstock 
made  a  ^renter  impression  upon  Harvey  day  by  day. 

He  loved  her  dcrjly. 

Die!  she  return  hie  affection  ? 

Time  will  ohov. 

Sir  Sydaey  Dawscn  and  O'Rafferty  did  not  call  one 
ai. -ther  ov.t,  t?iou^;?'.  when  they  *act,  they  looked  very 
stiffly  at  one  another. 

The  day  appoint 2 c!  f_r  Mrs.  Trr.vers'  ball  drew  near. 

Both  Jack  and  O'Rr.ffcrty  ~ot  leave  from  their  college 
authorities  to  stay  away  for  a  day  or  two. 

They  drove  over  together  early  in  the  morning,  as 
O'Raffcrty  declared  his  relative,  Mrs.  Travers,  would 
never  get  on  without  him. 

The  Prince  Pompom  Chatnagowrfe  was  coming  with 
his  suite,  and  great  efforts  had  to  be  made  to  receive 
him. 

All  :he  :ounty  families  near  were  invited  to  meet  hi? 
highnesr. 

It  was  to  be  a  ~rand  affair. 

Throwing  t>.e~ reins  to  a  groom,  Jack,  who  drovs 
jumpe "  Jo\/n  irom  the  trap  and  entered  the  house,  Ot 
his  arrival,  followed  by  O'Rafferty. 

Emily  was  alone  in  the  morning  room,   and, 
Jack,  threw  herself  into  h;s  arms,  saying — 
5 


66  JACK  HARKA  WAY  AT  OXFORD. 

"  Dear  Jack,  I  am  so — so  glad  to  see  you." 

He  kissed  her  tenderly. 

"  My  pet !  "  he  replied,  "  my  darling  I  It  seems  an  age 
Since  we  met " 

Looking  up,  Emily  saw  the  Irishman,  and  blushed. 

"Oh  !"  she  exclaimed,  ''there  is  Mr.  O'Rafferty." 

"He  says  you  are  in  love  with  him,  Emmy, "remarked 
;ack  laughing. 

"Don't  mind  him,  me  dear,"  replied  O'Rafferty,  look- 
ug  rather  foolish.  "It's  a  way  he's  got." 

"Mr.  O'Rafferty's  a  relation  of  Mrs.  Travers,"  answered 
jjlmily,  coldly,  "  but  a  very  slight  acquaintance  of  mine." 

"Oh,  you  young  rascal !  "  said  the  Irishman.  "You 
never  told  me  of  this.  You  have  been  making  fun  of  me." 

"Own  you  were  wrong,  and  apologise,"  said  Jack. 

"  I'll  own  anything  you  like  ;  let  us  be  happy.  If  Miss 
Emily  does  not  love  me,  she  likes  me ;  don't  you,  my 
dear  ? " 

"  I  don't  like  or  dislike  you,"  answered  .Emily. 

"I'm  a  nice  man,  am  I  not? " 

"  I  have  seen  nicer. " 

"Now  you're  cruel.  I'll  pay  you  out,  see  if  I  don't. 
But  shake  hands,"  said  O'Rafferty.  "All  I  did  was  to 
have  a  bit  of  fun  with  our  friend  Harkaway  here.  I 
knew  he  was  the  'varsity  man  you  were  engaged  to  all 
along.  Sure  you  are  the  loveliest  little  darling  in  all 
Oxfordshire. " 

*  "I  don't  want  your  stupid  compliments,  Mr.  O'Rafferty, 
so  you  had  better  keep  them  for  some  one  who  will 
appreciate  them,"  replied  Emily. 

"Oh,  be  jabers  !  "  exclaimed  the  Irishman,  "this  is  a 
frost.  1  .nust  be  off  till  the  thaw  comes.  It's  no  thanks 
I'll  get  for  standing  between  two  lovers.  Spoon  away, 
my  beauties  ;  I'll  go  and  help  Mrs.  Travers  to  prepare  for 
these  beknighted  Indians  who  are  coming  to-night." 

He  "ft  t.  ^m  together,  and  they  were  not  sorry  at  his 
departure. 

When  Jack  explained  to  Emily  how  O'Rafferty  had 
talked  about  her,  she  could  not  refrain  from  laughing. 

They  enjoyed  one  another's  society  until  lunch  time, 
when  they  went  into  the  dining-room. 

Mrs.  Travers  was  already  there,  and  O'Rafferty,  who 
aad  been  out  for  a  walk,  entered  shortly  after. 


JA  CK  HA  RKA  IV A  Y  AT  OXFORD.  6  7 

At  the  same  moment  the  sound  of  carriage  wheels  was 
heard. 

"Ah!  "  exclaimed  Mrs.  Travers,  "these  are  the  Chut- 
neys.  You  know,  dear  Emily,  I  asked  Mrs.  Chutney  to 
allow  the  girls  to  come  early.  The  major  and  herself 
will  follow  later.  Such  nice  girls  you  will  find  them. 
Do  you  know  the  Chutneys,  Mr.  Harkaway?" 

Jack  and  O'Rafferty  looked  blankly  at  one  another. 

The  major  was  a  very  fiery-tempered  gentleman,  and  he 
might  prove  very  disagreeable. 

Jack  and  O'Rafferty  remembered  their  escapade  on 
the  river,  and  how  they  had  made  Major  Chutney  believe 
they  were  the  surveyors  for  the  Abingdon,  Sandford  and 
Iffley  Extension  Line  of  railways. 

Mrs.  Travers  was  obliged  to  repeat  her  question. 

Jack  replied  hesitatingly — 

"  I  think  I  have — a — a  seen  them." 

Emily  looked  suspiciously  at  him. 

"Here's  a  go,"  he  thought  to  himself.  "That  con- 
founded Irishman  is  always  getting  me  into  some  scrr.pe 
or  other. " 

The  young  ladies  were  ushered  in,  and  shook  hands, 
and  kissed  Mrs.  Travers  and  Emily  ;  then  they  saw  the 
two  gentlemen,  to  whom  they  bowed  stiffly. 

"Are  you  going  to  have  a  railway  through  your 
grounds,  Mrs.  Travers  ?  "  asked  Miss  Chutney. 

"A  railway!"  repeated  Mrs.  Travers;  "whatever  put 
that  idea  into  your  head  ?  " 

"Because  I  see  the  surveyor  of  the  proposed  Abingdon 
Extension  Line  and  his  clerk  at  your  table." 

"My  dear  child,"  replied  Mrs.  Travers,  "  these  gentle- 
men are  from  Oxford  :  one  is  Mr.  O'Rafferty,  of  Mag- 
dalen, my  cousin  ;  the  other,  Mr.  Harkaway  of  St. 
Aldate's,  of  whom  you  must  have  heard. " 

"Who  has  not  heard  of  Mr.  Harkaway ?"  said  the 
younger  sister,  with  a  tender  glance. 

She  thought  of  the  squeeze  of  the  hand  Jack  had  given 
her. 

"All  I  can  say  is,"  exclaimed  the  elder  Miss  Chutney, 
"  that  if  these  gentlemen  are  what  you  represent  them  to 
be,  we  have  been  grossly  imposed  upon.  I  know  papa 
keeps  a  horsewhip,  and  I  hope  he  will  vse  it." 

Mrs.  Travers  and  Emily  stared  at  them  in  amazement 


68  JA  CK  HARK  A  WAY  AT  OXFORD. 

"Cnn  you  explain  this,  Patrick?"  asked  Mrs.  Travers. 

"Only  a  joke,  my  dear  cousin,"  replied  O'Rafferty. 
"  Miss  Chutney  is  quite  right.  Delightful  name  Chutney 
— suggestive  of  pickles.  We  were  on  the  river  ;  we  saw 
the  Chutneys  at  lunch.  We  were  hungry  ;  we  introduced 
ourselves. " 

"Under  false  pretences,  sir,"  interrupted  Miss  Chutney. 

"Your  lovely  faces  must  be  our  excuse,"  said  O'Raf 
ferty. 

"  Lovely  faces  indeed  ! "  muttered  Emily,  crossly. 

"Jack, "said  O'Rafferty,  "I  think  we  will  leave  the 
ladies  to  have  a  chat  while  we  take  a  walk." 

Jack  was  only  too  glad  to  make  his  escape,  as  the  posi- 
tion was  embarrassing,  and  Emily  had  given  him  a  look 
he  did  not  like. 

She  was  jealous  of  the  youngest  Miss  Chutney. 

Following  O'Rafferty,  he  soon  found  himself  on  the 
lawn,  in  the  centre  of  which  was  erected  a  handsome 
pavilion  for  the  reception  of  the  Indian  prince  and  his 
suite. 

"Come  inside  and  smoke  a  weed,"  said  O'Rafferty. 
"  It  was  getting  hot  in  there,  and  I  thought  it  was  good 
enough  to  cut  it " 

CHAPTER  LIX. 
O'RAFFERTY'S  TRICKS  AT  THE  BALL. 

WHEN  they  were  seated  in  the  large  tent,  or  pavilion, 
which  was  very  tastily  arranged  with  flowers,  hanging 
baskets,  and  oriental  hangings,  Jack  said — 

"I  am  sorry  we  have  been  bowled  out.  Emily  will 
not  like  me  for  taking  part  in  your  joke." 

"Nonsense,"  replied  O'Rafferty.  "She  knows  me  well 
enough  to  understand  my  playful  disposition." 

"Are  you  going  to  indulge  in  any  fun  here  ? " 

"  It's  what  I  came  for,  rne  boy,"  answered  the  Irish- 
man. ' '  Just  wait  a  bit,  bide  a  wee,  as  our  Scotch 
friends  say.  Here  is  my  friend,  James  the  footman  ;  we 
will  see  how  he  has  executed  my  commissions." 

A  tall  footman  entered  the  tent  and  advanced  to  O'Raf- 
ferty, who  exclaimed— 


JA CK  HA RKA  WAY  AT  OXFORD.  69 

"  Have  you  made  the  cow  all  right  ? " 

"Yes,  sir,  I've  got  the  outrageousest,  viciousest  thing 
as  I  could  find/'  was  the  reply. 

"What's  that  for  ?  "  asked  Jack. 

"I  will  tell  you.  My  cousin,  Mrs.  Travers,  is  of  a 
romantic  and  slightly  pastoral  turn  of  mind,"  said  O'Raf- 
ferty,  "and  she  has  had  a  room  at  the  top  of  the  grand 
staircase  fitted  up  as  a  stable.  The  cow  is  to  be  put 
inside,  and  a  pretty  milkmaid  is  to  sit  on  a  stool  and 
draw  new  milk  for  any  one  who  may  want  it." 

"Then  the  cow  is  for  that  purpose,"  said  Jack. 

"Precisely,  and  if  she  doesn't  upset  stool,  milkmaid 
and  all,  and  then  make  a  bolt  into  the  ballroom  and  up- 
set everyone  else,  it  is  not  my  fault." 

O'Rafferty  rubbed  his  hands  with  glee. 

"You  are  sure,  James,"  he  said,  "that  it  is  a  perfect 
beast." 

"I'd  back  this  cow,  sir,  against  our  coachman's  wife, 
and  that's  saying  a  great  deal,"  replied  James. 
'  Good,  and  now  have  you  brought  the  jalap  ? " 
'Yes,  sir." 

'  Give  it  to  the  cook  with  the  half-sovereign,  and  tell 
her  to  put  it  in  the  macaroon  cakes. " 
'All  of  it?     Sir,  there's  a  good  lot." 
'Every  h'ap'orth,"  replied  O'Rafferty. 
'There's  the  arsenic,  sir,"  continued  James. 
'Ah,   yes;  give  that  to  me.     It's  for  the  fish.     You 
know,  Harkaway,  or  rather  you  don't  know,  that  in  the 
ballroom  we  have  constructed  a  little  river  running  all 
round  the  room,  made   of  rock  work,  ornamented  with 
lilies  and  ferns,  and  filled  with  fish  netted  from  the  lake. 
The  arsenic  is  to  poison  them." 

"What  a  shame?  I've  a  good  mind  to  tell  Mrs. 
Travers,"  said  Jack. 

"Oh,  you  sneak  !  I  shall  have  to  hit  you  over  the  head 
with  the  poker,  or  do  something  dreadful  to  you,  if  you 
talk  of  telling,"  replied  O'Rafferty. 

"You  have  forgotten  the  cayenne  pepper,  sir,"  said 
James. 

"  Give  it  here,"  answered  O'Rafferty  ;  "that's  to  put  on 
the  floor  of  the  ballroom,  and  make  them  all  sneeze. 
Anything  else,  James  ?  " 

"  No,  sir,  that  is  all  you  told  me  to  get." 


7  o  JACK  HARK  A  IV AY  AT  OXFORD. 

"  What  time  is  supper  to  be  served  for  the  black  prince  ?  " 

"  One,  sir,  cos  they  goes  early." 

"Very  well.  At  ten  minutes  to  one,  let  it  be  put  on 
the  table,  or  say  half-past  twelve.  It's  all  cold,  and  can't 
hurt." 

"I'll  put  it  on  at  twelve,  sir,  and  have  it  ready,"  re- 
plied the  footman. 

"That  will  do.  Here  is  what  I  promised  you.  Keep 
your  mouth  shut,"  said  O'Rafferty,  handing  him  one  of 
the  notes  Jack  had  lent  him  a  week  or  so  before. 

James  bowed  his  acknowledgments  and  went  away. 

"  Isn't  it  rather  too  bad  to  do  all  this  sort  of  thing,  and 
upset  the  arrangements  ?  "  remarked  Jack. 

' '  Not  a  bit  It's  fun  ;  I'm  a  purveyor  of  fun.  I  may 
call  myself  a  fun  merchant;  it's  all  in  my  line  of  business," 
replied  O'Rafferty. 

"Well,  I  shall  have  nothing  to  do  with  it." 

"Why?" 

"  It's  an  abuse  of  hospitality." 

"My  dear  Harkaway,  you're  a  humbug,"  said 
O'Rafferty,  mildly.  "You will  enjoy  the  fun  as  much  as 
I  shall,  but  you  haven't  the  Irish  wit  to  get  it  up  or  the 
pluck  to  help  one." 

' '  Does  gentlemanly  feeling  go  for  nothing  ?  "  asked  Jack. 

"  Not  in  fun." 

"  Well,"  said  Jack,   "  I  will  have  no  hand  in  it." 

"You  are  like  the  boy  at  school  who  gets  another 
boy  to  let  off  the  cracker  for  him.  Never  mind,  let's  join 
the  ladies." 

They  returned  to  the  house  and  found  the  ladies  in  an 
excellent  temper. 

Mrs.  Travers  had  explained  to  the  Miss  Chutneys  that 
O'Rafferty,  her  lively  cousin,  was  a  determined  practical 
joker,  and  he  and  Jack  were  soon  forgiven. 

Emily  took  Jack  aside,  and  said  to  him  privately — 

"The  next  time,  sir,  you  meet  a  young  lady  under 
false  pretences,  do  not  squeeze  her  hand,  because  you 
may  be  found  out." 

"I  didn't  Emmy,"  replied  Jack  with  his  eyes  cast  down. 

"No  stories,  sir,  if  you  please.  You  are  found  out, 
and  to  punish  you,  I  shall  make  you  dance  the  first  dance 
to-night,  with  Miss  Chutney,  and  I  don't  know  that  I  shall 
give  you  one  till  quite  the  end  of  the  evening." 


JA  CK  HA  RKA  WA  Y  AT  OXFORD.  7 1 

"Oh,  Emmy  dear,  you  are  unkind,"  pleaded  Jack. 

"So  I  ought  to  be  I  think.  My  opinion  is  that  Mr. 
O'Rafferty  is  a  very  bad  companion  for  you,"  replied 
Emily. 

Jack  thought  so  too,  but  he  did  not  say  anything,  and 
the  conversation  ended,  as  Miss  Chutney  and  her  sister 
were  going,  at  O'Rafferty 's  soliciation,  to  make,  as  he 
whispered  to  Jack,  "a  noise  on  the  piano." 

Jack  tried  very  hard  to  be  gay  and  light-spirited,  because 
he  knew  Emily  would  ask  him  a  variety  of  questions,  ii 
she  saw  him  sad,  which  he  would  have  much  difficulty 
in  answering. 

O'Rafferty  was  as  amusing  as  anyone  could  wish. 

The  ladies  listened  to  his  conversation  and  laughed 
until  dinner  time,  after  which  they  retired  to  dress  them- 
selves for  the  ball ;  the  two  men  followed  this  example, 
and  were  first  to  arrive  in  the  ballroom. 

Mrs.  Travers  had  surpassed  herself  in  decorating  it. 

The  hall  and  staircase  were  filled  with  flowers  and 
shrubs  ;  on  the  landing  stood  the  cow,  fastened  to  an  imi- 
tation manger  by  a  halter ;  the  floor  was  covered  with 
straw,  and  the  cow,  much  to  her  satisfaction,  munched 
mangolds  and  turnips. 

Around  the  ballroom  was  a  miniature  trout  stream,  the 
sides  of  which  were  made  of  cement  and  rockwork,  and 
innumerable  fish  sported  in  the  water,  which  was  shad- 
owed with  ferns  and  lilies. 

In  the  centre  of  the  room  rose  a  fountain  of  perfume, 
which,  after  ascending  and  making  fragrant  the  air,  fell 
into  a  glass  basin,  where  the  ladies  could  dip  their  hand- 
kerchiefs. 

"Now,"  said  O'Rafferty,  "to  work." 

"Don't  expect  me  to  help  you,"  replied  Jack. 

"I  don't  want  you.     Sit  still,"  answered  O'Rafferty. 

Jack  took  a  seat  under  some  orange  trees  and  shrubs, 
and  watched  his  companion. 

O'Rafferty  walked  round  the  imitation  trout  stream  and 
dropped  little  pellets  of  arsenic  and  bread  into  it,  which 
in  an  hour  were  calculated  to  destroy  all  the  fish  within. 

On  the  floor  he  sprinkled  a  quantity  of  cayenne  pepper. 

In  the  scent  fountain  he  put  some  lamp  black  and  oil 
of  tar,  which,  when  stirred  up,  would  be  the  reverse  of 
aereeable. 


72  JACK  HARK  A  WA  Y  A  T  OXFORD . 

Soon  the  guests  began  to  arrive. 

Mrs.  Travers  received  them  one  by  one  in  the  polished 
and  agreeable  manner  which  was  peculiar  to  her. 

Among  the  first  to  come  were  the  Prince  Pompom 
Chatnagowrie  and  his  suite. 

Meeting  this  distinguished  Indian  rajah  on  the  stairs, 
Mrs.  Travers  invited  him  to  have  some  milk  from  the  cow. 

Prince  Pompom  bowed  and  was  led  in  to  the  stable  on 
the  top  of  the  stairs  ;  the  dairymaid  began  to  milk,  while 
the  band  struck  up  an  inspiriting  strain. 

Suddenly  the  cow  kicked  up  her  hind  legs  and  sent  the 
maiden  sprawling  on  her  back,  while  the  pail  with  its 
contents  flew  up  against  the  cashmere  robes  of  the  prince. 

A  jerk  broke  the  halter,  which  held  the  cow,  and  the 
wild  beast  dashed  away,  upsetting  the  prince  and  Mrs. 
Travers,  and  creating  fearful  havoc  amongst  the  suite. 

Blinded  by  the  glare  of  lights  in  the  drawing-room,  the 
animal  charged  down  the  staircase. 

Many  county  families  who  were  ascending  were  thrown 
violently  backwards.  Great  was  the  screaming. 

Terrible  was  the  destruction  of  muslin. 

A  perfect  panic  reigned  by  this  time.  The  cow  reached 
the  hall,  having  blundered  downstairs  only  to  be  secured 
by  the  servants  and  led  away. 

Mrs.  Travers  was  full  of  apologies  to  the  prince. 

His  highness  smiled  blandly,  allowed  the  milk  to  be 
wiped  off  his  robes,  and  giving  his  arm  to  the  mistress  of 
the  house,  entered  the  ballroom,  leaving  his  suite  to  re- 
cover themselves  as  best  they  could. 

"Come,  your  highness, "  exclaimed  Mrs.  Travers,  "and 
see  my  beautiful  fish  in  real  water.  I  am  extremely  sorry 
for  the  unruly  behaviour  of  that  cow,  but  you  must  forgive 
her.  Cows,  I  believe,  are  sacred  amongst  the  Hindoos." 

"Madam,"  replied  the  prince,  "I  am  a  Mahometan." 

He  spoke  coldly,  and  was  evidently  annoyed. 

Mrs.  Travers  thought  the  sight  of  the  fish  would  put 
him  in  good  temper,  but  what  was  her  dismay  when  she 
saw  them  all  floating  on  the  surface. 

"Eh  !  "  said  the  prince,  "dead  fish  !  Ah,  very  good, 
dead  fish." 

"They  were  all  alive  when  they  were  put  in.  This  is 
very  singular,"  answered  Mrs.  Travers.  "Will  your 
highness  condescend  to  take  some  refreshment?" 


JA  CK  HARK  A  WAY  AT  OXFORD.  73 

"Biscuit  and  glass  of  water,  thank  you,"  replied  the 
prince  still  more  coldly. 

' '  Perhaps  a  macaroon  would  please  you.  James  the 
macaroons  for  his  highness,"  exclaimed  Mrs.  Travers. 

At  the  entrance  of  the  ballroom,  the  prince  and  his 
suite  regaled  themselves  upon  macaroons  and  water. 

"Now,  "said  Mrs.  Travers,  "you  will  dance  the  first 
quadrille  with  me,  your  highness.  I  will  provide  your 
suite  with  partners." 

In  a  short  time  a  double  set  was  made  up,  and  the 
dancing  began,  but  it  had  not  proceeded  far  before  every 
one  began  to  sneeze  violently. 

O'Rafferty,  who  was  looking  on,  and  sitting  in  a  corner 
with  Jack,  said — 

"  The  cow  worked  well,  the  fish  are  all  dead,  and  now 
the  pepper  I  put  on  the  floor  is  making  them  all  sneeze  as 
if  they  had  the  influenza.  What  a  happy  day  we're 
having.'' 

"It's  a  shame,''  replied  Jack. 

"Not  a  bit.  Look  at  the  prince  ;  he's  hot.  He  wants 
to  wipe  his  olive-coloured  face,  and  goes  to  the  fountain. 
The  ladies  follow  the  royal  example.  Watch  'em  Jack  ! 
Bravo  !  they'll  all  be  as  black  as  niggers  soon,  and  smell 
like  a  gas  works.'' 

O'Rafferty  was  right. 

The  laughing  was  so  continuous,  and  the  sneezing  so 
impossible  to  stop,  that  the  quadrille  ended  before  it  was 
half  finished. 

Everybody  ran  to  the  scent  fountain,  dipping  their 
handkerchiefs  in  it,  and  smearing  their  faces  with  lamp 
black  and  essence  of  coal  tar. 

A  great  confusion  arose. 

The  ladies  looked  at  themselves  in  the  mirrors,  and  re- 
tired in  disgust  to  arrange  their  complexions. 

It  made  very  little  difference  to  the  prince  and  his  suite, 
as  they  were  Indians  and  naturally  dark  ;  but  all  at  once 
the  prince  put  his  hand  to  his  stomach,  and  bending  down 
said  to  his  prime  vizier — 

"  I  am  bad  inside  !  " 

"So  am  I,"  replied  the  prime  vizier,  making  a  face, 
"very  bad  indeed,  sire." 

The  members  of  the  suite  all  put  their  hands  on  their 
stomachs. 


74  JACK  HA  KKA  WAY  AT  OXFORD. 

Then  the  prince,  followed  by  the  whole  of  them,  made 
a  rush  for  the  door. 

Mrs.  Travers  could  not  understand  it  at  all. 

She  stared  blankly  after  them. 

So  did  the  company. 

O'Rafferty  laughed  till  his  sides  ached. 

"That's  the  jalap  in  the  macaroons,"  he  whispered  to 
Jack.  "What  a  lark  I" 

"You  are  too  bad,"  replied  Jack,  who  could  not  help 
laughing  too. 

' '  Wait  a  bit,  my  dear  boy.  You  haven't  come  to  the 
end  of  it  yet,"  answered  the  Irishman. 

In  time  the  prince  returned  and  sat  down  with  his  suite. 

The  dancing  proceeded  without  any  further  interrup- 
tion, and  Emily  so  far  forgave  Jack  as  to  give  him  her 
hand  for  a  waltz. 

While  they  were  waiting  for  the  music  to  begin,  she 
said — 

"If  you  help  Mr.  O'Rafferty  in  his  jokes,  I  shall  be  very 
angry  with  you.  Mrs.  Travers  doesn't  suspect  him,  but 
I  do." 

"What  for,  Emmy?  "  asked  Jack  innocently. 

"Oh,  a  great  many  things.  We  have  been  nearly  killed 
by  a  wild,  savage  cow  ;  we  have  coughed  and  blacked 
all  our  faces  ;  the  fish  are  dead,  and  the  poor  Indians  have 
been  taken  ill." 

"  It  wasn't  I  who  did  it,"  replied  Jack. 

•'  But  you  are  as  bad,  because  you  know  all  about  it. 
Never  mind  ;  we  don't  often  see  one  another,  so  I  shan't 
scold  you." 

"That's  right,"  said  Jack,  "don't." 

"Tell  me  all  about  yourself,  dear,"  she  continued. 
•'  How  are  you  getting  on  at  college  ?  " 

"Very  well,  thanks." 

"Are  you  working  hard?  " 

"Yes." 

"Nothing  to  worry  you,  since  that  odious  Davis  died  ?  " 
she  asked. 

"No,  "replied  Jack. 

"I  am  glad  of  that.  Do  you  know  when  I  first  saw  you 
to-day,  I  thought  you  looked  sad?" 

"  Did  I  ?  "  queried  Jack. 

"You  did,  indeed" 


JA  CK  II ARK  A  WAY  AT  OXFORD.  7  5 

"Oh,  it  was  nothing.  Hard  reading  makes  an  alter- 
ation in  a  man,  I  can  tell  you,  Emmy  ;  I  don't  get  enough 
exercise. '' 

"  It  is  silly  to  work  too  hard.  Stop  here  a  day  or  two, 
and  have  some  shooting  with  Mr.  O'Rafferty." 

"I  don't  mind,"  answered  Jack. 

"I  must  leave  you  when  the  dance  is  over,"  she  con- 
tinued. "  Because  I  have  to  dance  with  Lord  somebody 
or  other.  I  forget  his  name." 

"  Don't  fall  in  love  with  your  swell,  Emmy." 

"No  fear,"  she  replied,  adding — 

"Oh,  Jack  dear,  you  shouldn't  say  such  things  to 
me !  " 

"You  know  I  love  you,  Emmy,  better  than  anything 
in  the  world,"  he  answered.  "  I'd  kiss  you  if  there  were 
not  so  many  people  looking  on." 

"Go  away,  you  stupid,"  she  rejoined,  as  the  music 
ceased,  and  the  dance  was  over. 

Reluctantly  he  gave  her  up  to  her  next  partner,  and 
went  to  look  for  O'Rafferty. 

He  found  him  in  the  doorway  talking  to  James  the 
footman. 

"  Come  on,  Harkaway.  I  have  no  time  to  lose,"  said 
the  Irishman. 

"What  are  you  up  to  now?" 

"  It's  supper-time  for  the  Indian  swells,  and  I  want  to 
see  that  every  thing  is  properly  arranged  for  them," 

He  grinned  as  he  spoke,  and  Jack  guessed  that  he  was 
engaged  in  some  fresh  mischief. 


CHAPTER  LX. 

AN  UNWELCOME  GUEST, 

QUITTING  the  ball-room,  O'Rafferty  led  Jack  to  the  lawn, 
where  a  handsome  pavilion  was  erected. 

The  prince  and  his  suite  were  to  have  supper  there  all  by 
themselves,  and  various  dainties  which  they  liked  were 
provided  for  them. 

Being  Mahometans,  they  would  not  eat  the  usual  fare 
which  found  favour  in  the  eyes  of  Christians 


1 6  JA  CK  HARK  A  WAY  AT  OXFORD. 

O'Rafferty  sent  James  up  to  the  leader  of  the  band,  tell- 
ing him  and  his  men  to  come  down  at  once  and  have 
their  supper. 

This  order  was  gladly  obeyed,  and  twelve  hungry  men 
were  ushered  into  the  pavilion. 

"Now,  my  fine  fellows,"  said  O'Rafferty,  as  the  mu- 
sicians entered,  "fall  to  ;  eat  and  drink  what  you  like,  but 
I  can  only  allow  you  ten  minutes." 

"Thank  you,  sir,"  replied  the  leader;  "we  won't  be 
longer  than  we  can  help." 

Prodigious  was  the  clatter  of  the  knives  and  forks. 

In  ten  minutes  the  board  was  cleared,  and  all  the  dain- 
ties, prepared  at  a  great  expense  for  the  Indians,  disposed 
of. 

' '  Clear  out  1  "  exclaimed  O'Rafferty,  who  had  been  hold- 
ing his  watch  in  his  hand  to  time  them,  "and  strike  up  a 
merry  tune." 

The  musicians  returned  to  their  places. 

Mrs.  Travers  had  missed  the  music,  but  being  told  the 
men  were  gone  to  obtain  some  refreshments^  thought  the 
opportunity  a  good  one  to  lead  the  Indian  guests  to  supper. 

"Come,  prince,"  she  said,  just  as  the  band  returned, 
"  you  will  see  that  I  have  done  my  best  to  give  you  a  re- 
past of  oriental  magnificence." 

The  Indians  followed  her  to  the  pavilion. 

What  was  their  horror  to  see  nothing  but  empty  dishes 
and  dirty  plates  ! 

Mrs.  Travers  uttered  a  scream  of  dismay. 

"Who  has  done  this?"  she  demanded. 

The  servants  could  give  her  no  information. 

Prince  Chatnagowrie  accepted  her  excuses  coldly. 

He  had  been  nearly  killed  by  a  cow,  blinded  by  red 
pepper,  inconvenienced  by  jalap  in  his  macaroons,  and 
finally  there  was  no  supper. 

He  pleaded  the  lateness  of  the  hour,  and  ordered  his 
carriage. 

In  vain  Mrs.  Travers  begged  him  not  to  rob  her  party 
at  so  early  an  hour  of  its  most  distinguished  guest. 

The  prince  was  inflexible,  and  departed. 

Mrs.  Travers  could  have  cried  with  vexation. 

Jack  had  gone  back  to  the  ballroom,  and  was  talking 
to  Emily,  when  a  footman  informed  him  that  his  mis- 
tress wanted  to  see  him. 


JA  CK  HA  RKA  WAY  AT  OXFORD.  7  7 

She  held  a  card  in  her  hand,  and  said — 

"A  gentleman,  whom  I  do  not  know,  but  who  says  he 
is  a  friend  of  yours,  has  arrived  ;  do  you  know  him  ?  " 

Jack  looked  at  the  card  and  read — 

"  Mr.  Kemp  !  " 

"Oh,  yes,  I  know  him,"  replied  Jack;  "but  I  gave 
him  no  authority  to  come  here." 

"It  does  not  matter.  I  am  at  all  times  pleased  to  see 
any  friend  of  yours,"  replied  Mrs.  Travers,  with  a  smile. 
"I  cannot  talk  to  him  though,  for  I  am  nearly  heart- 
broken at  all  the  disasters  which  have  befallen  me  to- 
day. 

"  My  Indians  have  gone  away  huffed  ;  my  cow  was  a 
failure  ;  my  dear  fish  are  dead.  Some  enemy  must  have 
conspired  against  me.  Go  and  welcome  your  friend  and 
leave  me  to  my  grief." 

Jack  expressed  his  thanks  and  went  to  the  door,  where 
Kemp  was  standing  in  evening  dress. 

' '  How  dare  you  make  use  of  my  name  and  come  here  ? " 
asked  Jack,  angrily. 

"  I  asked  your  scout  where  you  had  gone  ;  he  told  me, 
and  as  I  thought  I  should  enjoy  myself  at  this  ball,  I  hired 
a  trap  and  came  over,"  replied  Kemp. 

"  It's  like  your  impudence,"  replied  Jack. 

"Isn't  it  ?  "  answered  Kemp,  with  a  laugh. 

"  I've  a  good  mind  to  kick  you  out,"  replied  Jack,  turn- 
ing away. 

Kemp  followed  him  and  said — 

"Introduce  me  to  that  pretty  girl  in  pink.  Who  is 
she  ?  " 

"That's  Emily." 

"Who's  she,  may  I  ask?" 

"  The  girl  I  am  engaged  to,"  replied  Jack,  surlily. 

"All  right.  I'll  see  if  I  can't  cut  you  out  in  that  quar- 
ter," said  Kemp,  with  an  aggravating  smile.  "I've  got  a 
winning  way  with  the  girls  ;  they  all  like  me." 

"Don't  go  too  far,"  remarked  Jack,  his  eyes  sparkling 
with  suppressed  rage. 

Kemp  hummed  an  air  carelessly,  and  walked  over  to 
Emily,  who  was  talking  to  old  Major  Chutney. 

Jack  remained  by  himself,  and  felt  as  if  he  could  have 
flown  at  Kemp  then  and  there  and  strangled  the  life  out 
of  him. 


;8  JACK  HARK  A  WA  V  A  T  OXFORD. 

"They  did  it  well,  the  rogues,"  Major  Chutney  was 
saying.  "  I  quite  took  them  to  be  what  they  said  they 
were — railway  surveyors.  Ah,  the  rascals  ;  they  quite  up- 
set my  wife  and  I  for  a  few  days ;  indeed,  Mrs.  Major 
Chutney  wasn't  herself  for  a  week.  But  I  forgive  them 
for  it.  Ha  !  ha  !  " 

Addressing  himself  to  Emily,  Kemp  said — 

"Pardon  my  introducing  myself  to  you,  Miss  Emily.  I 
am  a  college  friend  of  Harkaway's,  and  he  is  too  lazy  to- 
night to  do  the  amiable." 

Emily  bowed  stiffly. 

"  What  do  you  want  ? "  she  asked. 

"  A  dance  if  you  have  one  to  spare,"  he  replied. 

"  I  am  very  sorry  that  my  card  is  quite  full  up  to  supper- 
time." 

"And  after ? " 

"And  even  then,  unless  you  have  the  patience  to  wait 
until  the  small  hours  of  the  morning." 

She  turned  away,  and  again  talked  to  Major  Chutney, 
leaving  Kemp  looking  very  foolish. 

He  was  cross  and  angry,  and  went  back  to  Jack,  who 
was  biting  his  lips. 

"Your  sweetheart  is  not  very  amiable,"  he  remarked. 
"She  would  not  dance  with  me." 

"I  don't  blame  her."  replied  Jack.  "Girls  don't  like 
being  taken  by  storm." 

Seeing  O'Rafferty  at  the  other  end  of  the  room,  Jack 
went  to  him,  with  a  ray  of  hope  in  his  heart. 

Knowing  his  friend's  talent  for  joking,  he  fancied  he 
would  help  him  to  get  rid  of  Kemp,  the  sight  of  whom 
at  the  ball  made  him  feel  wretched. 

"Ah,  me  dear  boy,"  said  O'Rafferty,  "I  am  like 
Hercules  resting  after  his  labours." 

''Come  and  have  a  glass  of  cham.,  and  you  will  feel 
like  a  giant  refreshed.  I  want  to  talk  to  you,"  exclaimed 
Jack. 

They  went  to  the  refreshment-room,  and,  sitting  down, 
asked  for  a  bottle  of  champagne. 

"You  know  Kemp,"  continued  Jack.  "He  is  here, 
and  has  introduced  himself  through  my  name.  I  hate 
him.  Can't  you  get  rid  of  him  in  a  pleasant  way  ?  " 

"Let  me  see,"  answered  O'Rafferty.  "My  fertile 
brain  is  a  little  exhausted." 


JA  CK  HARKA  WAY  AT  OXFORD.  79 

He  thought  a  moment,  and  then  suddenly  clapped  his 
hands  together. 

"Be  jabers !  I  have  it,"  he  cried.  "My  cousin's 
wart  has  done  it." 

"What?"  asked  Jack,  laughing. 

"Mrs.  Travers  has  a  wart  on  her  cheek,"  continued 
O'Rafferty,  "  and  out  of  that  wart  grow  three  long  hairs." 

"I  never  saw  them." 

"No,  because  she  uses  a  strong  depilatory  to  remove 
them.  It's  a  frightfully  strong  mixture  of  burning  chemi- 
cal stuff,  and  when  rubbed  on  hair,  makes  it  come  off 
quickly.  That's  the  idea.  Let  us  go  and  make  every- 
thing ready  for  the  victim.  James  !  " 

The  footman   happened  to  be  in  the  refreshment-room. 

"Here,  sir,"  he  said,  hearing  his  name. 

"Go  and  get  a  basinful  of  flour  from  the  cook,"  ex- 
claimed O'Rafferty. 

"Yes,  sir." 

"And  go  to  my  cousin's  bedroom — that's  Mrs.  Travers, 
you  know — and  bring  me  her  bottle  of  depilatory.  You 
will  see  it  marked,  'The  Depilatory,  or  Patent  Hair- 
Destroyer.  Poison.'  Don't  drink  it." 

"Not  me,  sir,"  replied  James,  going  away  to  execute 
these  orders. 

When  he  returned,  O'Rafferty  led  the  way  to  a  little 
bedroom  opening  on  the  stairs. 

"This  is  my  nest  for  to-night.  Scrape  off  the  label 
from  the  bottle.  "  Quick  !  "  said  the  Irishman. 

Jack  did  so  with  the  aid  of  a  knife. 

"  Now  it's  scented  hair-oil.      Do  you  see  ?  " 

"Not  yet,"  replied  Jack. 

"Wasn't  it  a  lucky  thing  I  thought  of  my  cousin's 
wart?  We'll  soon  settle  Kemp's  hash.  Oh,  bally- 
smashum  !  bothero  !  Won't  he  kick  up  an  illigant  shindy  ?  " 
exclaimed  O'Rafferty,  dancing  with  glee  at  the  prospect 
of  what  he  was  going  to  do. 

The  hair-destroyer  was  placed  on  the  table,  a  candle 
lighted,  and  the  confederates  went  out. 

"You  go  and  bring  the  victim  out  here.  Let  him 
stand  on  the  stairs.  Keep  the  martyr  in  conversation 
until  I  give  an  Irish  war-whoop,"  said  O'Rafferty. 

Jack  nodded,  and  going  into  the  ball-room,  found  Kemp 
talking  to  Emily. 


So  JA  CK  HARKA  WAY  AT  OXFORD. 

She  smiled  as  Jack  came  up,   and  said — 

"Really,  this  gentleman  is  extremely  persevering  ;  he 
is  boring  me  to  death  to  dance  with  him. " 

"Give  him  one  dance  presently,  Emily,"  replied  Jack, 
with  a  wink. 

"If  you  wish  it,  I  will.  Mr.  Kemp,  I  shall  be  at  your 
service  after  the  'Lancers,'  which  are  just  about  to 
begin,"  said  Emily. 

"Thanks,  very  much,"  answered  Kemp. 

He  took  Jack's  arm,  and  the  latter  led  him  towards  the 
stairs. 

"  That's  what  I  call  civil  of  you,"  said  Kemp. 
"You're  a  good  slave,  and  beginning  to  know  your 
work. " 

Jack  flushed  at  this  insolence. 

"Don't  talk  to  me  like  that,"  he  said,  fiercely,  stop- 
ping on  the  stairs. 

"Suddenly  a  mass  of  flour  fell  down  upon  Kemp's 
head  and  shoulders,  nearly  blinding  him. 

"Hurrah  for  ould  Erin!  chu-r-rup ! "  was  heard  up 
above. 

"  What  the  deuce  is  that  ?  "  cried  Kemp,  furiously. 

The  next  moment  O'Rafferty  was  patting  his  head  and 
rubbing  the  flour  in,  on  the  pretence  of  rubbing  it  off. 

"My  dear  boy,"  he  said,  "I  am  very  sorry,  but  the 
basin  dropped  out  of  me  hand.  It's  only  flour,  and  the 
ladies  wanted  it  to  whiten  their  pretty  faces." 

Getting  his  eyes  open,   Kemp  replied — 

"  I  wish  to  goodness  you  wouldn't  play  your  infernal 
tricks  upon  me." 

"By  the  sowl  of  me  grandmother,  and  that's  an  oath, 
it  was  an  accident,"  said  O'Rafferty.  "Come  to  me 
room,  me  dear  boy,  and  wash  it  off." 

Kemp  suffered  himself  to  be  led  away  to  the  little  room 
on  the  stairs. 

Here  the  depilatory  or  hair-destroyer  was  awaiting 
him. 

O'Rafferty's  face  sparkled  at  the  expectation  of  what 
was  coming. 

As  for  Jack,  he  returned  to  the  ballroom,  determining 
to  leave  the  Irishman  to  his  own  devices. 

He  felt  sure  that  the  detested  Kemp  was  in  good  hands. 

Leading  the  victim  of  the  practical  joke  into  the  little 


/A CK  HARKA  WAY  AT  OXFORD.  8 1 

bedroom  opening  from  the  staircase,  O'Rafferty  pretended 
to  be  very  much  vexed  at  what  had  happened. 

"It's  so  confounded  awkward,"  he  said,  "to  have 
oneself  covered  with  flour — nasty  stuff  flour. " 

"Very,"  answered  the  victim. 

"  But  we  will  soon  have  it  off,"  continued  the  volatile 
Irishman.  "Put  your  head  in  this  basin.  So,  I  will  wash 
your  hair  with  hot  water,  and  here  is  some  stuff  my 
cousin,  Mrs.  Travers',  maid  has  brought  me,  which  is 
good  for  one's  thatch.  It's  some  sort  of  oil.  Will  you 
have  a  little  on  ?  " 

"  If  you  please,"  replied  Kemp. 

He  held  his  head  in  a  proper  position,  and  O'Rafferty 
began  to  scrub  away  at  his  hair  with  a  nail-brush. 

"  Shish,  s — shish,"  he  muttered,  as  if  he  was  groom- 
ing a  horse. 

"I  say,"  cried  Kemp  suddenly. 

"What,  me  boy?"  asked  O'Rafferty. 

"Isn't  that  oil  stuff  rather  hot  ?  " 

"  It  can't  be,  oil's  cooling.  It's  the  water,  me  innocent. 
We'll  turn  you  out  beautiful  for  ever.  Madame  Rachel's 
a  fool  to  me.  S — shish,  s — shish." 

The  process  went  on  for  another  minute,  and  Kemp's 
hair  began  to  come  off  in  bunches  under  the  influence  of 
the  hair-destroyer. 

Already  he  was  bald  in  several  places. 

"Confound  it !  how  my  head  smarts,"  said  Kemp. 

"Stings,  does  it?  That's  the  flour.  Perhaps  it  was 
adulterated  with  cayenne  pepper  ;  the  thieves  of  bakers 
will  do  any  thing  in  these  days." 

"I'm  extremely  obliged  to  you  for  your  kindness,"  said 
Kemp.  "  But  if  you  will  give  me  a  towel, I'll  have  a  rub." 

Pouring  the  rest  of  the  depilatory  over  the  victim's 
head,  O'Rafferty  handed  him  a  towel. 

With  this  Kemp  rubbed  his  hair  vigorously. 

He  looked  like  a  mangy  dog,  with  bare  patches  all  over 
his  head. 

After  the  final  rubbing  with  the  towel,  there  was 
scarcely  a  hair  left. 

He  went  to  the  glass  to  look  at  himself,  and  uttered  a 
howl  of  dismay,  mingled  with  anger. 

"  God  bless  me  !"  he  exclaimed,    "what's  the  matter 
with  me  ? " 
6 


82  JA CK  HARKA  WAY  AT  OXFORD. 

"  Eh  !  "  said  O'Rafferty,  as  if  he  did  not  understand  him. 

"  Where's  my  hair  ?  " 

"By  the  powers  !  "  said  O'Rafferty,  "it's  as  bald  as  a 
coot  you  are.  What  could  have  done  that?  The  oil 
must  have  been  the  thing  my  cousin  keeps — a  depilatory 
— to  take  the  hairs  off  her  mole,  and  they  have  brought 
me  the  wrong  stuff.  Be  jabers  1  it's  lucky  you  used  it 
instead  of  me." 

' '  What  am  I  to  do  ?  "  asked  Kemp,  blankly. 

"Wigs  are  cheap." 

"Wigs!  I  wear  a  wig!  It's  my  opinion,  sir,  you 
have  done  this  on  purpose.'' 

O'Rafferty  placed  his  hand  on  his  heart 

"On  the  honour  of  an  Irishman "  he  began. 

"You've  got  no  honour,  sir  !  "  shrieked  Kemp. 

"  On  the  word  of  an  O'Rafferty,  my  dear  boy " 

"  You're  a  scoundrel,  and  I'll  be  revenged,"  thundered 
Kemp. 

"This  is  bad  language,  and  a  worse  return  for  my 
kindness,  Mr.  Kemp ;  1  ve  done  with  ye,"  answered 
O'Rafferty,  with  dignity. 

"  Done  for  me,  you  mean.  What  can  I  look  like  with- 
out any  hair  on  my  head?" 

O'Rafferty  gaily  hummed  a  negro  melody,  and  sang — 

"  'For  he  had  no  wool  on  the  top  of  his  head,  iii  "he 
place  where  the  wool  ought  to  grow.'  It's  annoying, 
me  boy,  to  have  no  wool,  but  a  bald  head's  a  nice 
thing  on  a  summer's  day  for  the  flies  to  settle  on." 

"I'll  have  my  revenge,"  cried  Kemp,  fiercely. 

He  seized  the  candlestick,  and  rushed  upon  O'Rafferty, 
who  was  exploding  with  laughter,  and  who  cleverly 
dodged  a  blow  that  was  aimed  at  him. 

Then  the  Irishman  ran  on  to  the  staircase,  followed  by 
Kemp,  who  was  soon  stopped  by  a  crowd  of  people  going 
down  to  supper. 

Seeing  a  sealskin  cap  hanging  on  a  peg,  he  put  it  on, 
and  thus  hid  his  ungainly  appearance. 

By  this  time  O'Rafferty  had  disappeared. 

Pushing  his  way  into  the  supper-room,  which  was 
crowded,  Kemp  sat  down,  thinking  he  would  smooth  his 
ruffled  feathers  with  a  glass  of  champagne  and  the  leg  of 
a  chicken. 

Though   his   head  was  smarting,  and  he  remembered 


fA CK  HA RKA  WA  Y  AT  OXFORD.  83 

very  well  he  had  lost  his  hair,  he  forgot  that  he  had  a  seal- 
skin cap  on. 

To  wear  a  cap  in  a  supper-room,  before  nearly  a  hun- 
dred guests,  was  a  gross  breach  of  etiquette  and  decorum. 

Loud  murmurs  arose. 

A  gentleman  spoke  to  Mrs.  Travers,  and  Mrs.  Travers 
spoke  to  the  gentleman. 

The  gentleman  rose  and  rapped  his  knuckles  on  the 
table. 

"  Ladies  and  gentlemen,"  he  said. 

Kemp  had  just  finished  a  tumbler  of  champagne,  and 
had  helped  himself  to  half  a  chicken. 

"There  is  a  person  in  this  room, "  continued  the  speaker, 
"who  has  dared  to  sit  down  at  this  table,  in  the  presence 
of  ladies,  with  a  sealskin  cap  on." 

"Hear,  hear  !  "  cried  the  company. 

"I  request  that  person  to  remove  the  obnoxious  cap," 
concluded  the  speaker. 

Kemp  went  on  eating  his  chicken,  not  thinking  for  a 
moment  that  he  was  the  subject  under  discussion. 

The  murmurs  increased. 

It  was  clear  that  a  storm  of  indignation  was  brewing. 

"Sir,"  thundered  the  speaker,  "I  call  upon  you  to  take 
off  your  cap." 

A  footman  touched  Kemp  on  the  shoulder. 

"What  is  it?"  asked  Kemp,  "lobster  salad?  Very 
good.  Give  me  some  on  a  clean  plate." 

"Caps  isn't  allowed  in  perlite  society,"  answered  the 
footman,  "  and  you've  got  to  remove  yours." 

"I  can't,"  replied  Kemp. 

"  He  says  he  can't,"  said  several  voices. 

"  Why  not  ?  "  demanded  the  speaker. 

"Because  I'm  bald,"  answered  Kemp,  glaring  fiercely 
around  him. 

There  was  visible  agitation  amongst  the  ladies. 

"Footman,"  said  Mrs.  Travers'  friend,  "take  off  that 
man's  cap,  and  turn  him  out. " 

In  an  instant  the  cap  was  removed. 

Kemp  sprang  to  his  feet,  and  shaking  his  fist  in  the  foot- 
man's face,  threatened  to  strike  him. 

"You  base-born  scoundrel !  "  he  exclaimed  ;  "how  dare 
you  lay  your  vile  hands  on  a  gentleman?  Take  that,  and 
that,  and  that !  " 


84  /A  CK  HA  RKA  WAY  AT  OXFORD. 

The  footman,  hit  heavily  by  Kemp,rolled  over  on  a  sice 
table,  and  brought  down  a  pile  of  plates  with  a  crash. 

All  the  ladies  screamed  loudly. 

Mrs.  Travers  nearly  fainted,  aod  the  gentlemen  rushed 
towards  Kemp. 

"Turn  him  out!  Kick  him  out!"  they  all  cried. 
"Show  him  the  door !  Out  with  him  !  out  with  him  !  " 

Bereft  of  his  sealskin  cap,  and  looking  as  wild  as  a  mad- 
man with  his  head  shaved,  the  wretched  Kemp  knocked 
down  another  footman  or  two,  and  dashed  away  like  a 
hare  hunted  by  the  hounds. 

Gaining  the  passage,  he  darted  upstairs. 

The  deserted  ballroom  was  no  safe  refuge,  so  he  made 
his  way  into  the  conservatory,  which  was  pleasantly  filled 
with  orange  trees  and  exotic  shrubs,  mixed  with  flowers, 
which  shed  a  delicious  fragrance  around. 

Here  he  thought  he  could  find  refuge,  and  consider  what 
was  best  for  him  to  do. 

An  odious  practical  joke  had  been  played  upon  him. 

Of  this  he  felt  certain,  as  O'Rafferty  must  have  known 
what  he  was  doing  when  he  put  the  depilatory  on  his 
head. 

He  had  been  chased  from  the  supper-room,  and  would 
certainly  be  kicked  out  of  the  house,  if  any  one  found  him 
after  supper  was  over. 

What  to  do  for  the  best  he  knew  not,  and  the  wretched 
man  was  nearly  distracted. 

Suddenly  he  stopped  in  the  centre  of  a  perfumed  grove 
of  orange  and  lemon  trees,  for  he  heard  voices  near  him. 

Surely  he  could  not  be  deceived. 

The  voices  were  those  of  Harkaway,  Emily,  and 
O'Rafferty. 

Peering  carefully  through  the  scented  branches,  he  saw 
the  three  standing  together,  preferring  an  agreeable  chat 
in  the  conservatory  to  the  noise  and  bustle  of  the  supper- 
room,  where  they  could  descend  when  the  crush  was  over, 
and  the  appetites  of  some  of  the  guests  were  satisfied. 

Kemp  listened 

Something  told  him  that  he  was  the  subject  of  their  con- 
versation. 

"You  should  have  seen  him,  my  dear,"  said  O'Rafferty. 
"He  was  as  bald  as  St  Patrick,  and  as  wild  as  a  Kil- 
kenny cat.  'Sir,'  says  he,  'you're  a  scoundrel!'  'By 


JA  CfC  HA  RKA  WAY  AT  OXFORD.  85 

the  word  of  an  O'Rafferty  and  the  honour  of  an  Irishman,1 
says  I,  when  he  stopped  me,  and  says,  '  I've  lost  my  hair.' 
Of  course  he  had.  I  promised  Jack  to  serve  him  out,  and 
when  I  see  him  in  Oxford,  I'll  ask  him  the  price  of  wigs. " 

"So,"  thought  Kemp,  "I  have  to  thank  Master  Hark- 
away  for  this.  Very  well;  my  time  will  come." 

"I  think,"  said  Emily,  "that  Mr.  Kemp  is  a  bad  man, 
because  he  was  the  friend  and  associate  of  Hunston  and 
that  poor  fellow  Davis,  who  is  dead." 

' '  Bad  !  "  replied  Jack,  almost  fiercely.  "That  Kemp  is 
the  biggest  scoundrel  that  ever  walked  the  earth.  He'd 
rob  a  church." 

"Or  take  the  sugar  out  of  a  canary  bird's  cage,"  sug- 
gested Emily. 

"  Or  the  pence  out  of  a  blind  man's  hat,"  replied 
O'Rafferty. 

They  all  laughed. 

Kemp's  face  became  demoniac  in  its  expression. 

"I'll  give  you  something  to  cry  about  presently,"  he 
muttered  between  his  clenched  teeth,  and  snaking  his  fist 
in  their  direction.  "You  don't  chaff  me  for  nothing,  and 
make  merry  at  my  expense." 

"It's  an  infernal  shame,"  continued  Jack,  "that  such  a 
fellow  should  be  allowed  to  remain  at  the  University." 

"But,  Jack  dear,"  said  Emily,  mildly,  "there  must  be 
a  black  sheep  in  every  flock,  must  there  not  ?  " 

"  I  don't  see  the  necessity,"  answered  Jack,  "and  if  I 
were  the  shepherd  of  the  flock,  I  would  jolly  soon  kick  the 
sheep  out." 

"  Leave  him  to  me,"  said  O'Rafferty ;  "I  have  a  talent 
for  settling  unpleasant  people.  Will  you  deliver  Kemp 
over  to  the  tormentor — that's  me?" 

"And  that's  not  grammar,"  put  in -Emily,  with  a  smile, 

"Shall  I  say  that's  I,  or  that's  myself,  sweetest  of  thy 
lovely  sex  ? "  answered  O'Rafferty  :  adding,  "The  fact  is,  I 
am  one  of  those  men  who  can  rise  superior  to  grammar." 

"  Never  mind  Emily,"  said  Jack.  "She  likes  to  nag  a 
little  occasionally.  I  deliver  Kemp  over  to  you.  Show 
him  no  mercy."  ' 

"  Not  a  ha'p'orth,  me  boy.  He's  a  gone  coon,  and  has 
seen  his  last  gum  tree,"  replied  O'Rafferty. 

Kemp  went  down  on  his  hands  and  knees,  and  crawled 
between  the  large  tubs  that  held  the  branching  trees. 


86  JACK  HARK  A  WAY  AT  OXFORD. 

He  approached  Emily,  who  was  standing  with  her  back 
to  him,  in  her  muslin  ball-dress,  looking  very  gauzy  and 
fairy-like. 

Drawing  a  wax  match  from  his  pocket,  he  struck  it 
gently,  and  held  it  under  her  skirt,  lighting  the  inflam- 
mable material  in  three  places. 

Then  he  retired  in  the  same  snake-like,  gliding  manner. 

"Ha,  ha!"  he  cried  to  himself;  "we  shall  see  who 
will  laugh  the  longest — Harkaway  and  his  friends,  or  I." 

All  at  once  it  became  apparent  that  a  thick  smoke  was 
arising  from  that  part  of  the  conservatory  where  the  three 
friends  were  standing. 

"There  is  a  smell  of  burning,"  said  Jack,  looking  round 
uneasily. 

"I  hope  the  house  is  not  on  fire,"  remarked  Emily  ;  add- 
ing, "Is  this  one  of  your  tricks,  Mr.  O'Rafferty?  " 

"  No,  indeed,"  he  replied.  "  Fire  is  one  of  those  things 
I  never  play  with." 

"Oh!"  exclaimed  Emily,  all  at  once;  "it  is  behind 
me.  I  am  quite  hot.  Dear  Jack,  do  please  see  if  there  is 
anything  the  matter  with  me." 

In  a  moment  Jack  was  at  work. 

A  quick  glance  in  her  direction  showed  him  that  her 
dress  was  in  flames. 

It  was  horrible  to  think  that  his  darling  Emily  might  be 
burned  to  death. 

With  the  rapidity  of  lightning,  he  took  off  his  coat,  and, 
forcing  her  violently  backwards,  made  her  lie  upon  her 
back,  and  threw  the  coat  over  her. 

This  would  not  have  been  sufficient,  had  not  O'Rafferty 
seen  a  large  tub  of  water  standing  close  by. 

Taking  it  in  his  arms,  he  staggered  under  its  weight  to 
the  spot  where  she  was  lying,  and  poured  it  over  her  in 
streams. 

"Oh,  help  !  help  !  for  the  love  of  heaven  !  I  am  burn- 
ing— burning  !  "  she  cried,  piteously. 

Then  she  lost  her  senses. 

The  water,  however,  effectually  extinguished  the  fire, 
as  there  were  several  gallons  inside,  and  she  was  com- 
pletely deluged. 

"Roll  her  over;  serve  her  all  over  alike,"  said 
O'Rafferty.  "That's  your  sort,  man.  She's  out.  Gad! 
I  ought  to  have  been  a  fireman.  Bravo  !  " 


JACK  HARKA  WAY  AT  OXFORD.  87 

Jack  rolled  her  in  the  water,  which  was  streaming  all 
over  the  floor,  and  had  the  satisfaction  of  seeing  that  she 
was  in  no  further  danger. 

He  fell  on  his  knees  and  supported  her  loved  head  on 
his  arm. 

"God  be  thanked  for  this  great  mercy,"  he  murmured, 
raising  his  eyes  piously  to  the  star-studded  firmament, 
which  was  visible  through  the  glass  roof  of  the  conserv- 
atory. 

O'Rafferty  was  not  a  man  of  very  strong  religious  ten- 
dencies, but  he  answered  fervently — 

' '  Amen  1 " 


CHAPTER  LXI. 
A  DAY'S  SHOOTING. 

KEMP  did  not  dare  to  stay  to  see  the  result  of  his  villain- 
ous work. 

He  hoped  that  he  had  burnt  Emily  to  death,  because  he 
would  thereby  inflict  pain  upon  Harkaway. 

If  he  lingered  in  the  ball-room  he  would  become  an  ob- 
ject of  suspicion,  so  he  ran  into  the  hall,  put  on  the  first 
hat  and  coat  he  could  find,  and  went  to  the  stables  to  find 
his  coachman,  which,  having  done,  he  got  into  his  con- 
veyance and  was  driven  back  to  college. 

Emily  was  carried  by  Jack  and  O'Rafferty  to  her  bed- 
room, where  the  lady's-maid,  assisted  by  Miss  Chutney, 
who  was  summoned  privately,  so  as  a  t  t_,  alarm  Mrs. 
Travers  and  disturb  the  party,  undressed  her  and  put  her 
to  bed. 

Very  anxiously  did  Jack  wait  until  Miss  Chutney  came 
in. 

"  Is  she  hurt  ? ''  he  asked,  eagerly. 

"  Not  much,"  was  the  reply.  "A  little  scorched,  but 
nothing  serious.  We  have  applied  oil  and  flour  to  allay  the 
pain.  She's  a  little  hysterical  and  nervous  through  the 
shock,  but  there  is  nothing  to  fear.  How  did  it  hap- 
pen ?  " 

"  That  is  just  what  I  can  not  make  out, "  answered  Jack. 


88  JACK  HARKA  WAY  AT  OXFORD. 

"There  was  no  light  anywhere  near  her,  and  unless  she 
trod  upon  a  match,  which  had  been  carelessly  dropped, 
I  can't  think  how  it  came  about" 

Slipping  away  from  the  ballroom,  which  was  again 
crowded  with  guests,  supper  being  over,  Jack  went  to 
Emily's  room. 

"  Hush,  sir,"  said  the  maid.      "  She  is  asleep." 

Jack  sat  down  by  the  bedside,  and  watched  over  her 
till  nearly  morning,  when  he  retired  to  rest,  and  slept  like  a 
top  till  O'Rafferty  woke  him. 

"Arouse  ye  then,  my  merry,  merry  men,  it  is  our  break- 
fast time,"  exclaimed  O  Rafferty.  "We  are  going  out 
shooting,  you  and  I.  With  great  perseverance  I  have  dis- 
covered a  couple  of  guns  of  ancient  make,  which  seem 
warranted  to  burst  on  very  slight  provocation." 

Jack  smiled. 

"I'll  go  with  you  if  Emily  is  better, "replied  Jack. 

"The  young  lady  in  question  is  at  the  present  moment 
presiding  at  the  tea-urn,  and  begs  me  to  say  that,  bar  a 
little  pain,  she  is  all  right,  the  shock  not  having  seriously 
affected  her  nervous  system." 

"That  is  good  news.  Just  slope,  will  you,  while  I  get 
into  the  bath,  I  shall  be  down  directly  ;  I  say,  tell  Emmy 
not  to  make  my  coffee  too  sweet,"  said  Jack. 

He  was  delighted  to  find  that  Emily  was  not  much 
hurt,  and  gladly  fell  in  with  O'Rafferty 's  propositions 
about  a  shooting-party. 

Mrs.  Travers  had  a  small  estate,  upon  which  there  was 
not  much  game,  as  she  did  not  go  to  the  expense  of  a 
keeper. 

The  Irishman  cared  very  little  whose  land  he  went  upon, 
as  long  as  he  got  a  shot  at  some  thing. 

Armed  with  rusty,  but  still  serviceable  guns,  and  well 
supplied  with  powder  and  shot,  the  two  started  on  their 
expedition. 

"  I  am  afraid  we  shall  come  to  grief,"  remarked  Jack. 

"  If  I  only  see  the  tip  of  a  rabbit's  ear  or  a  feather  of  a 
pheasant's  tail,  I  am,  in  the  word  of  the  poet,  '  on  to  it 
like  grub, '  or,  as  the  vulgar  would  observe,  '  like  the  bee 
on  to  the  honeysuckle,'  "  said  O'Rafferty. 

They  walked  several  miles  without  seeing  any  thing, 
and  both  the  young  men  began  to  feel  the  amusement 
rather  slow. 


/A  CK  HARK  A  WA  Y  AT  OXFORD.  89 

' '  I  should  like  to  get  a  shot  at  some  thing,  hang  me  if  I 
shouldn't,"  said  Jack. 

"Ditto  in  this  direction,"  answered  O'Rafferty, 
"Whist!  me  boy,  look  at  those  ducks  in  that  pond;  a 
couple  of  dozen  of  beautiful  Aylesburys,  I'll  swear." 

"Yes,"  said  Jack,  looking  in  the  direction  indicated, 
"and  there  is  the  owner  watching  them." 

A  stout,  sleepy-looking  man  was  leaning  against  some 
railings  round  a  pond,  upon  whose  placid  surface  a  score 
of  ducks  disported  themselves. 

"  Morning,  governor,"  said  O'Rafferty. 

"  Same  to  you,  young  master,"  was  the  reply. 

"Those  are  fine  ducks." 

"They  be  all  that." 

"What  will  you  let  me  have  a  shot  at  them  for?  Will 
you  give  me  ten  shots  for  a  pound?  " 

"  Gi'e  me  the  p'und,"  said  the  man. 

O'Rafferty  handed  him  a  golden  sovereign. 

"There  is  the  bullion  !  "  he  exclaimed.  "Now  then,  I 
may  blaze  away  till  all's  blue,  and  have  what  I  kill." 

"I'll  have  the  same,"  said  Jack.  "Ten  shots  fora 
quid.  Catch,  master." 

He  tossed  a  sovereign  over  to  the  man  who,  with  a  sly 
chuckle,  dropped  them  into  his  pocket,  and  walked  away. 

"Turn  and  turn,"  continued  Jack.  "You  begin,  and 
I'll  have  second  fire." 

"Here  goes,  me  boy;  death  to  ducks  is  my  motto, 
when  I  go  out  for  a  day's  shooting." 

Bang,  bang,  went  the  guns. 

Quack,  quack !  screeched  the  ducks,  whose  bodies 
soon  began  to  float  on  the  surface  of  the  pond. 

"That's  my  last,"  said  O'Rafferty,  at  length,  :>  and 
I've  potted  six,  while  only  five  have  fallen  victims  to  your 
weapon  of  destruction.  This  is  what  I  call  sport." 

"Let's  have  another  sov.'s  worth,"  replied  Jack. 

"I'm  game  if  you  are.  Here,  master,"  exclaimed 
O'Rafferty,  addressing  the  farmer-looking  man,  who  was 
a  hundred  yards  off. 

"What  be  it  now  ?  "  was  the  answer. 

"  May  we  have  another  ten  shots  at  those  ducks?" 

"You  may  have  as  many  shots  as  you  please,  young 
gentlemen,"  said  the  man.  "Them  dooks  don't  belong 
to  me.  I  am  a  stra-anger  in  these  parts  ;  Abingdon's  my 


96  JACK  HARKA  WAY  AT  OXFORD. 

whoam.  Here  come  the  vearmer  they  belongs  to,  and 
perhaps  he'll  have  something  to  say  to  you.  He,  he,  he  1 
Ha,  ha,  ha  !  " 

"You  old  villain!"  exclaimed  O'Rafferty.  "By  the 
bones  of  my  grandmother — and  that's  an  oath — I  should 
like  to  give  you  something  to  remember  me  by." 

"Neatly  sold,  by  Jove!"  said  Jack  biting  his  lips. 
"There  is  two  quids  gone  and  the  prospect  of  a  row  into 
the  bargain.  Look  at  the  farmer  coming  this  way  ;  he 
looks  awfully  riled." 

"Let's  hook  it,"  observed  O'Rafferty. 

"  Stop  and  tell  the  truth,"  replied  Jack.  "  Where  is  the 
man  we  gave  the  money  to  ?  The  old  beast  has  sloped 
off  somewhere.  Hang  the  old  cheat  !  " 

Suddenly  the  farmer  began  to  run,  and  brandishing  a 
large  stick,  cried  to  a  big  ugly  dog,  half  bull,  half  mastiff, 
which  Jack  perceived  for  the  first  time. 

"Hie  onto  'em,  lad!  Loo,  loo,  Gripper!  Hie  on, 
Grip,  lad  !  Stick  to  'em,  stick  to  'em  !  " 

"I  doD't  like  the  look  of  that  dog,  Harkaway,"  said 
O'Rafferty,  nervously. 

"  Nor  \     Is  your  gun  loaded  ?  " 

"No.7 

"Nor  mine,  worse  luck,  or  I'd  shoot  him," said  Jack. 

"Figuratively  we  are  up  a  tree;  let  us  get  up  one 
literally  See  that  larch  overhanging  the  water,  with  a 
sloping  trunk  ?  " 

"  Ye-i" 

"Up  you  go,  then,  after  me,  like  greased  lightning. 
Quick,  me  boy,  and  we'll  have  some  sport  with  the 
farmer.  Mind  your  gun  ;  don't  leave  that." 

O'Psfferty  led  the  way  up  the  tree,  which,  as  it  was 
half  c*own,  and  leaning  a  good  deal  over  the  water  was 
not  difficult  to  climb. 

Hf  was  followed  by  Harkaway,  and  soon  the  con- 
fede'ates  were  safely  ensconced  in  its  leafless  branches, 
with  the  water  beneath  them,  the  sky  overhead,  and  in 
front  a  snarling  dog,  with  his  bared  gums  showing  his 
wh'te  teeth,  and  a  corpulent  farmer,  wild  with  rage, 
shHcing  a  big  thick  stick,  as  if  he  was  paid  so  much  for 
g  it  by  the  hour. 
Morning  'fearmer.'  Cold,  isn't  it? "said  Jack,  chaf 


JA  CK  HA  RKA  WAY  AT  OXFORD.  9 1 

"I'll  make  it  warm  for  you,  before  I've  done  with 
you,"  answered  the  farmer.  "What  do  you  mean  by 
shooting  my  dooks  ?  " 

"We  paid  a  man  two  pounds  to  let  us  shoot  at  them. 
He  said  they  were  his." 

"Gammon.  I  don't  see  no  man,  you're  a  couple  of 
young-  blackguards,  that's  what  you  are." 

"Me  good  sir!"  exclaimed  O'Rafferty.  "Are  you 
aware  that  you  are  speaking  to  the  Prime  Minister  of 
England  and  the  Lord  Chamberlain  ?  " 

' '  You  are  very  exalted, "  replied  the  farmer.  ' '  I'll  have 
you  out  of  that.  It's  time  that  old  tree  came  down,  and 
a  ducking  wouldn't  hurt  you.  I'll  leave  the  dog  to  mind 
you  while  I  go  for  a  man  and  an  axe.  Shoot  my  ducks, 
will  you  ?  I'll  duck  you." 

Shaking  his  stick  again,  the  farmer  said  to  his  dog — 
"Mind  un,  Grip;  mind  un,  lad,"  and  walked  off  as 
quickly  as  he  could. 

The  dog  planted  himself  at  the  foot  of  the  tree  and 
looked  savagely  at  the  captives. 

"  It's  a  nice  dog,  but  I'm  afraid  he  must  go  where  the 
good  niggers  go,"  exclaimed  O'Rafferty,  coolly. 

"  What  do  you  mean  ?  "  asked  Jack. 

"Why,  he  must  be  potted.  While  the  farmer  is  ab- 
sent, we  can  escape.  Hand  up  the  powder  and  shot." 

Jack  did  so,  and  O'Rafferty  loaded  his  gun. 

Then  he  took  a  deliberate  aim  at  the  faithful  animal, 
who  rolled  over  dead,  being  shot  through  the  heart. 

"Now's  your  time — quick  !  "  said  the  Irishman.  "Away 
wid  ye,  me  boy  !  " 

He  and  Jack  were  soon  in  full  flight  across  the  country  ; 
nor  did  they  stop  until  they  had  placed  a  couple  of  miles 
at  least  between  them  and  the  fatal  pond. 

All  at  once  they  espied  a  pretty-looking  little  house, 
half  hidden  amongst  some  trees,  and  they  halted. 

"Do  you  see  that  thing  in  the  hedge?"  cried  O'Raf- 
ferty. 

Jack  looked,  and  saw  something  small  and  brown 
dodging  about  in  the  hedge  bottom. 

"  It  looks  like  a  pig,"  he  replied. 

"  Whatever  it  is,  I  mean  to  have  a  shot  at  it,"  answered 
the  Irishman. 

Raising  his  gun  to  his  shoulder,  he  fired. 


02  fACX  HARKA  WAY  AT  OXFORD. 

There  was  a  faint  shriek,  which  evidently  came  from 
a  human  voice,  and  all  was  still. 

"Dead  as  mutton,  I'll  lay  odds,"  exclaimed  O'Rafferty. 
"Let  us  go  and  examine  our  game." 

Scarcely  knowing  why,  Jack  reluctantly  advanced, 
feeling  as  if  O'Rafferty's  indiscriminate  shooting  had  this 
time  brought  them  into  some  trouble. 

Advancing  a  few  yards  further,  they  got  through  a  gap 
in  the  hedge,  and  O'Rafferty  ran  forward,  crying — 

"There  it  is!" 

"What  is  it ?  "  inquired  Jack 

O'Rafferty  made  no  answer. 

He  placed  the  butt  of  his  gun  on  the  ground,  and  leant 
pensively  on  the  muzzle  while  he  regarded  the  object 
which  was  stretched  out  in  all  the  silence  of  death  before 
him. 

It  was  a  child,  nearly  black,  of  Indian  birth. 

"This  is  manslaughter,"  said  O'Rafferty.  "But  who 
the  deuce  expected  to  see  black  children  running  about 
in  this  country  ? " 

"I'll  tell  you  what,"  cried  Jack  taking  the  little  creature 
in  his  arms;  "it's  one  of  Mole's  children.  He  lives 
somewhere  about  here.  Good  God !  what  have  you 
done  ! " 

"Killed  the  youngster,  sure  enough.  I'm  very  sony 
for  it,  but  how  could  I  know?" 

"Mole  won't  be  sorry." 

"Who  is  this  Mole? "  asked  O'Rafferty. 

In  a  few  words  Jack  told  him  all  about  Mr.  Mole  and 
his  marriage  in  Limbi  with  Ambonia,  their  subsequent 
meeting  in  Oxford,  and  Mole's  flight  from  the  university 
to  study  science  and  build  a  balloon. 

"A  balloon?"  said  O'Rafferty.  "Then  that  round 
thing  is  it  I  expect" 

Jack  looked  to  the  right,  and  saw  a  huge  balloon, 
inflated  with  gas,  having  a  car  attached,  which  was 
nearly  completed. 

The  machine  was  held  to  the  earth  by  three  strong 
ropes. 

Almost  at  the  same  moment,  a  tall  lady  dressed  in 
white,  but  having  black  hands  and  face,  emerged 
from  the  house,  and  directed  her  steps  towards  the  two 
intruders. 


JA  CK  II ARK  A  WAY  AT  OXFORD.  9$ 

"That's  Ambonia,"  said  Jack,  "and  she  is  a  tigress. 
Look  out  for  squalls." 

O'Rafferty  stood  irresolute,  not  knowing-  what  to  do, 
and  then  placed  the  child  in  the  car  of  the  balloon. 


CHAPTER  LXIL 

IT  IS  ALL  UP   WITH  MRS.   MOLE. 

"You  talk  to  her;  she  speaks  a  little  English,"  said 
Jack,  "  while  I  go  and  see  old  Mole." 

"Very  well, "replied  O'Rafferty. 

O'Rafferty  carelessly  held  the  gun  in  the  hollow  of  his 
arm,  and  awaited  the  approach  of  Ambonia. 

"  Ha  !  "  she  exclaimed  ;  "  why  for  you  come  poach  on 
my  husband's  ground?" 

"Madame,"  replied  O'Rafferty  with  a  low  bow,  "I 
assure  you  that  nothing  was  further  from  my  mind  thai} 
poaching." 

"But  you  got  shoot  gun.  I  hear  it  shoot — bang! 
What  you  kill  ? " 

O'Rafferty  did  not  answer. 

She  passed  him,  pushing  him  rudely  on  one  side. 

"My  very  dear  madam,"  said  O'Rafferty,  "what  can  I 
say  to  appease  your  wrath  ?  Listen  to  me. " 

Ambonia  had  held  one  hand  concealed  under  her 
apron. 

Withdrawing  it,  she  displayed  a  revolver  with  five 
chambers. 

"This  pistol,"  Ambonia  said,  "it  loaded.  I  can  with 
pistol  kill.  You  mind  ;  look  out  there  ;  let  me  go." 

O'Rafferty  fell  back. 

Ambonia  got  up  the  pair  of  steps  which  gave  admit- 
tance to  the  car,  the  latter  being  about  six  feet  from  the 
ground. 

Suddenly  she  uttered  a  piercing  shriek. 

She  had  discovered  the  body  of  her  dead  child. 

For  a  moment  she  was  overwhelmed  with  grief,  and 
throwing  herself  on  her  knees  by  the  side  of  the  little 
black  child  shed  b'itter  tears. 


94  JA  CK  HA  RKAWAY  AT  OXFORD. 

Then  thinking  of  the  murderer,  for  such  he  was  in 
reality,  she  said  to  herself  in  her  own  language — 

"Revenge  first,  grief  afterwards." 

She  looked  around  for  O'Rafferty,  and  presenting  the 
pistol  at  him  fired. 

Fortunately  for  him,  she  was  not  a  good  shot  at  any 
time,  and  her  excessive  agitation  made  her  hand  tremble. 

The  aim  was  a  bad  one,  and  the  bullet  missed  its  mark. 

Again  she  fired. 

O'Rafferty  sprang  from  side  to  side  like  an  harlequin 
in  a  pantomime. 

"  Och,  by  the  powers  !  "  he  muttered,  "she  will  do  me 
an  injury.  It's  kilt  entirely  I  am,  if  the  saints  don't  inter- 
fere." 

A  third  shot  whistled  harmlessly  past  his  left  ear. 

It  made  a  sort  of  noise  he  did  not  like. 

"You  kill  my  child,  I  kill  you,"  shouted  Ambonia, 
covering  him  again. 

O'Rafferty  saw  an  axe  lying  on  the  ground,  which  had 
been  used  by  the  workmen  in  constructing  the  still  un- 
finished car  of  the  balloon. 

Seizing  it,  he  dealt  a  blow  at  one  of  the  ropes,  and 
severed  it. 

The  balloon  swung  over  on  one  side. 

Rushing  to  another  rope,  he  cut  that. 

Bang  !  shish  ! 

A  fourth  bullet  went  through  the  crown  of  his  fHt 
hat. 

"  Fiends  take  the  woman  !  "  he  cried,  nervously. 
"That's  a  near  shave,  and  ten  and  sixpence  worth  of 
good  felt  spoilt." 

The  balloon  now  inclined  at  an  angle  of  thirty  degrees. 

Another  vigorous  stroke,  and  the  third  rope  was  cut. 

The  vast  machine  slowly  righted  itself,  and  began  to 
ascend  towards  the  sky,  bearing  a  little  south-east  before 
the  cold  wind. 

"Help,  Isaac,  help!"  shouted  Mrs.  Mole,  discharging 
the  last  barrel  of  the  revolver  with  the  same  bad  success, 
and  then  throwing  the  empty  weapon  at  O'Rafferty, 
striking  him  on  the  shin,  and  making  him  howl  like  a 
banshee  before  death. 

"Oh,  plague  take  it!"  he  cried,  ruefully,  "she  has 
barked  my  shins.  What  a  wretch  1  but  it's  a  comfort  that 


JA  CK  HARK  A  WAY  AT  OXFQR&.  95 

she's  going  where  she  will  be  more  appreciated  than 
she  is  here.  "Good-day  to  you,  inarm,  and  a  pleasant 
voyage." 

Slowly  the  balloon  ascended. 

Ambonia's  tall  figure  could  be  seen  leaning  over  the 
car  ;  she  was  shrieking,  and  making  furious  gestures. 

At  this  moment,  Mr.  Mole  appeared  with  Harkaway. 

Both  were  open-mouthed  with  surprise  at  seeing  the 
balloon  disappear,  not  knowing  as  yet  that  Ambonia  was 
in  it. 

"What  is  the  meaning  of  this,  and  where  is  my  black 
wife?"  asked  Mr.  Mole. 

"It's  all  up  in  a  balloon,  my  boy,  with  Mrs.  Mole,  I'm 
afraid,''  answered  O'Rafferty. 

"  How  is  that  ?  " 

"She  is  in  the  balloon,  which  I  set  adrift  to  save  my- 
self from  being  shot  by  her  revolver." 

"Is  it  possible  ?  " 

"The  child,  whom  I  also  had  the  misfortune  to  injure 
under  a  mistake,  is  also  with  her." 

"  My  dear  sir,"  cried  Mr.  Mole,  grasping  his  hand,  "  I 
beg  to  thank  you  most  warmly  for  ridding  me  of — No, 
that  is  not  right  ;  I  mean  this  is  very  sad.  I  lose  my 
beloved  wife  and  my  poor  helpless  child  at  one  fell  stroke. 
It  is  a  pity  you  did  not  put  the  other  little  negro  in  the 
car — No,  I  am  wrong ;  I  mean  to  say  there  is  one  left  to 
console  me,  should  I  never  see  its  poor  mother  again. 
I  am  your  friend  for  life,  my  dear  boy — No,  I  mean  your 
enemy  for " 

"You  may  say  what  you  like  to  O'Rafferty,  sir,"  inter- 
rupted Jack.  "We  all  know  you  must  be  glad  to  get  rid 
of  Ambonia  ;  so  what's  the  use  of  any  humbug?  Take 
us  indoors  and  give  us  some  champagne." 

"  Let  me  see  the  last  of  her,  "replied  Mr.  Mole.  "That 
balloon  will  go  up,  up,  up,  until  it  is  miles  and  miles  over 
the  earth.  Mrs.  Mole  will  float  in  space ;  let  her  float ; 
let  her  float." 

Gradually  the  balloon  became  a  mere  speak  on  the 
horizon. 

"I  had  thought  of  flying  in  that  machine  myself,"  said 
Mole,  with  a  sigh,  "  and  finding  a  refuge  in  foreign  lands, 
but  now  that  Ambonia  and  one  of  her  beautiful  infants 
have  gone — I  trust  for  ever — I  will  resume  my  position  at 


96  JACK  HA  RKA  WAY  AT  OXFORD. 

Oxford,  and  once  more  devote  my  life  to  the  study  of  my 
favourite  classics,  and  the  coaching  of  freshmen." 
"  Bravo  !  "  replied  Jack.      "Mole  is  himself  again." 
"Have  you  missed  me,  Harkaway?" 
"We  have  been  very  dull  without  you,  sir." 
"  That  is  pleasing.     Come  to  my  house  ;  you  shall  have 
the  glorious  vintage  of  champagne,   Mr.   O'Rafferty,   for 
you  are  my  friend.     Give  me  your  hand,  sir." 

They  shook  hands  warmly,  and  walked  towards  the 
house. 


CHAPTER  LXIII. 

A   DAY  OF   ADVENTURES. 

UNDER  the  influence  of  sundry  bottles  of  champagne, 
which  Mole  opened  regardless  of  expense,  the  spirits  of 
all  three  rose. 

Harkaway  said  that  he  hoped  Mole  would  not  feel 
angry  with  O'Rafferty  for  what  he  had  done. 

"The  fact  is,"  he  continued,  "O'Rafferty  sent  your 
wife  into  the  air  in  self-defence,  as  she  was  taking  cool 
shots  at  him  with  a  revolver." 

"  My  dear  John,  "replied  Mr.  Mole,  "  so  far  from  being 
cross  with  O'Rafferty,  if  he  will  permit  me  to  address  him 
so  familiarly " 

"Go  on,  sir  ;  I  feel  as  if  I  had  known  you  all  my  life," 
put  in  the  Irishman. 

"Thank  you,"  replied  Mole;  "I  feel  that  you  have 
done  me  a  service.  To  have  lived  much  longer  with  that 
odious  black  heathen  in  this  Christian  country,  would 
have  driven  me  mad,  and  I  was  only  trusting  to  ihe  com- 
pletion of  my  balloon." 

' '  For  what  ?  " 

"  To  escape  in  the  night.  She  is  worse  than  Xantippe, 
the  famous  shrew  of  old  times.  Oh  !  the  life  that  woman 
has  led  me ;  look  at  my  face,  still  disfigured  from  recent 
scratches,  and  if  you  could  see  my " 

Jack  coughed. 

"Why  do  you  cough,  Harkaway?"  asked  Mr.  Mole 
"I  was  only  going  to  say  my  ribs.  If  you  could  see 
them,  you  would  find  them  black  and  blue,  from  fre- 


;A  CK  HARK  A  WAY  AT  OXF  9  7 

auent  tacifS  s.nd  punches.  Ambonia  is  a  fiend,  and  after 
living  with  her,  no  man  need  fear  anything  worse  than 
death." 

"What  will  become  of  her?  "  asked  Jack. 

"If  she  does  not  let  the  gas  out,  she  will  attain  b 
certain  height,  and  then  float  about  in  space  till  she 
starves  to  death.  If  she  knows  how  to  manage  the 
machine  she  may  reach  the  shores  of  some  foreign  coun- 
try. But  that  is  doubtful.  However,  she  is  gone,  and  I 
am  free." 

Mole's  delight  was  intense. 

It  was  a  little  unkind  and  unchristian,  perhaps,  but 
really  some  excuse  ought  to  be  made  for  a  poor  bullied, 
cowed-down,  henpecked  wretch,  such  as  Mole  had  be- 
come. 

Ambonia  had  shown  him  no  mercy. 

She  bullied  him  morning,  noon  and  night,  and  struck 
him  whenever  her  own  sweet  will  prompted  her  to  do  so. 

In  addition  to  this,  she  did  not  allow  him  to  have  any 
friends  ;  and  insulted  everyone  who  came  into  the  house, 
without  any  further  provocation. 

"I  think  I  could  dance,"  said  Mole,  "my  heart  feels 
so  light." 

"Give  us  a  break-down,  sir,"  exclaimed  Jack. 

"I  will  try  ;  fill  up  your  glasses.  For  let  the  bottle 
pass,  and  we'll  drink  another  glass,  to  the  maids  of  merry 
England,"  cried  Mole,  excitedly. 

"That's  right,  sir.  You  remind  me  of  old  times  now," 
remarked  Jack.  "Go  it,  sir.  Give  us  one  of  your 
favourite  twisters." 

Mr.  Mole  executed  a  fantastic  dance  ;  and  as  the  wine 
had  got  into  his  head,  the  natural  consequence  was,  he 
became  giddy. 

The  final  result  being  that  he  fell  back  on  the  table, 
which  tumbled  down  with  a  crash,  and  he  lay  under  a 
shower  of  bottles  and  glasses. 

Picking  him  up,  Jack  said — 

"Wake  up,  sir." 

"  Let  me  be,  Harkaway,  I  am  very  happy,"  answered 
Mr.  Mole,  with  an  imbecile  smile. 

"  We  are  out  shooting,"  continued  Jack,  "and  must 
finish  our  day's  sport.  Will  you  come,  sir  ?  " 

"I  may  be  a  little  excited,  but  I  am  not  drunk,  Hark- 
7 


98  JACK  HA RKA WAY  AT  OXFORD. 

away,"  replied  Mr.  Mole.  "If  you  ask  me  to  join  you 
in  the  chase,  I  reply  unhesitatingly  that  I  will  do  so." 

"  Have  you  got  a  gun  ?  " 

Mr.  Mole  raised  himself  upon  his  elbow. 

"Certainly  I  have.  A  very  formidable  weapon, 
ancient,  but  still  serviceable.  It's  of  the  blunderbuss 
order,  and  would  kill  a  buffalo. " 

"Get  it  out,  sir,  and  come  along — the  evenings  close 
in  soon  now." 

Mr.  Mole  rose,  took  a  glass  of  brandy  to  steady  his 
nerves,  and  attired  himself  for. the  chase  with  leather 
gaiters,  a  loose  shooting-coat,  and  a  large-muzzled  gun. 

Thus  equipped,  he  left  the  house,  giving  the  remaining 
child  in  charge  of  the  servant,  saying  that  Mrs.  Mole  had 
gone  for  a  trip  with  the  eldest  child  in  the  balloon,  and 
he  did  not  know  when  she  would  return. 

The  servant  did  not  see  any  thing  wonderful  in  this,  as 
her  mistress  had  shown  herself  to  be  very  eccentric  on 
several  occasions. 

Ambonia  had  beaten  her  with  flat-irons  and  rolling- 
pins. 

It  had  cost  Mr.  Mole  several  pounds  to  induce  the 
servant  to  forego  a  prosecution  in  the  police  court. 

Therefore  the  woman  was  no  more  sorry  at  her  mis- 
tress's disappearance  than  Mole  was  himself. 

The  three  sportsmen  went  out  in  high  spirits,  and 
walked  a  couple  of  miles  talking  and  laughing  gaily. 

"  Here  we  are  at  the  property  of  Squire  Western,"  said 
Mr.  Mole.  "  He's  a  strict  preserver  of  game.  Mind  what 
you  are  about." 

"That's  a  likely-looking  wood  for  pheasants,"  said 
Jack. 

"Cut  in,"  said  O'Rafferty.  "Leave  Squire  Western, 
and  his  keepers  to  me." 

Mole  shrugged  his  shoulders. 

A  hare  got  up,  O'Rafferty  fired,  and  the  animal  rolled 
over  dead 

"  Home  they  brought  the  wild  hare  dead.  First  to  the 
boy  ?  "  said  O'Rafferty,  picking  up  the  spoil. 

All  at  once  a  stern  voice  exclaimed — 

"What  are  you  doing  on  my  ground,  you  fellows  ?  " 

"  Squire  Western  by  the  holy  poker  !  "  said  O'Rafferty. 
"I'll  lay  six  to  four  on  it,  and  stake  the  money." 


JACK  HARKA  WAY  AT  OXFORD.  99 

A  tall  military-looking1  man,  who  was  indeed  Mr.  West- 
ern, the  lord  of  the  manor,  and  a  justice  of  the  peace  for 
the  county,  stood  before  them,  accompanied  by  two 
keepers. 

"We — we  were  merely  taking  a  walk,  sir,"  replied 
Mr.  Mole  nervously. 

"  Nonsense  !  you  are  trespassing-  and  poaching-.  I  saw 
one  of  you  kill  a  hare  ;  that  hare  belongs  to  me.  Take 
it  away  from  him,  Jarvis,"  said  the  squire. 

The  keeper,  a  thick-set,  burly  fellow,  approached 
O'Rafferty,  who  threw  the  hare  at  him. 

"Take  it,  if  you  want  it.  Perhaps  a  dinner  is  an  object 
to  your  master  !  "  he  exclaimed. 

"No  insolence,  fellow!"  cried  Mr.  Western,  adding— 

"Jarvis  ! " 

"  Yes,  sir,"  replied  the  keeper. 

"Take  their  guns  from  them." 

Mr.  Mole  was  about  to  give  up  his  blunderbuss,  when 
Jack  put  his  hand  on  his  arm. 

"  I'll  be  hanged  if  we  do  I "  he  exclaimed.  "  Stand 
back,  man  !  " 

The  keeper  hesitated. 

"  If  you  are  Mr.  Western,  listen  to  me,"  he  continued. 
"We  are  gentlemen  from  Oxford.  My  friend,  Mr. 
O'Rafferty,  and  myself  are  staying  with  Mrs.  Travers, 
who  is  a  neighbour  of  yours.  The  other  gentleman  is 
Mr.  Mole,  an  Oxford  fellow,  who  has  property  near 
here." 

Mr.  Western  regarded  them  curiously. 

"  How  am  I  to  know  this  to  be  true  ?  "  he  asked. 

"Simply  because  I  am  not  in  the  habit  of  telling  lies," 
replied  Jack. 

"Who  are  you  ?  " 

"Mr.  Harkaway  of  St.  Aldate's." 

"Indeed,"  said  Mr.  Western.  "  Pardon  my  rudeness  ; 
but  really  I  have  suffered  so  much  from  poachers  that  I 
am  obliged  to  be  strict.  Game  preserving  is  expensive 
as,  of  course,  you  are  aware ;  but  if  I  had  known  who 
you  were,  I  would  have  given  you  a  day's  shooting  with 
pleasure,  and  put  my  keepers  at  your  disposal." 

"  We  did  not  know  we  were  on  your  grounds,"  said 
Harkaway. 

"Don't  say  another  word.     lam  an  old  rowing-man 


»  60  fACK  HARK  A  WAY  AT  OXFORD. 

and  an  Oxford  man,  Mr.  Harkaway,  and  I  feel  proud  ar 
having  met  such  a  distinguished  member  of  my  univers- 
ity. Who  has  not  heard  of  Mr.  Harkaway,  of  St.  Aldate's, 
the  best  oar  and  bat  of  his  year  ?  Will  you  and  your 
friends  honour  me  with  your  company  to  lunch  ?  Don't 
say  no." 

"Me  dear  boy,"  said  O'Rafferty,  "I  never  say  no  to 
a  good  thing.  Let  me  answer  for  myself  and  friends." 

The  squire  smiled,  and  they  walked  on,  chatting 
pleasantly  together,  the  keepers  being  now  as  respectful 
as  they  had  formerly  been  the  reverse. 

A  fine  pheasant  got  up  with  a  low  whirr  on  the  skirts 
of  a  wood,  and  was  close  to  Mr.  Mole. 

"Shoot  away,  sir  ;  it's  a  cock,"  said  the  squire. 

"Ah,  yes,  I  perceive,"  replied  Mr.  Mole,  bringing  his 
blunderbuss  to  his  shoulder  slowly,  and  taking  deliberate 
aim  at  the  trunk  of  a  tree. 

"Fire,  man,  alive,  or  you'll  be  too  late!"  continued 
the  squire. 

Mr.  Mole  shut  his  eyes,  placed  his  feet  firmly  together 
and  with  great  difficulty  pulled  the  trigger  of  his  antiquated 
fowling-piece. 

There  was  a  loud  explosion,  and  Mole  fell  on  his  back, 
grasping  the  butt  of  the  blunderbuss,  the  barrel  having 
gone  in  minute  pieces  in  various  directions. 

"Good  gracious  !  the  gun  has  burst !  "  cried  the  squire. 
"Who  let  him  go  out  with  such  a  thing  as  that  ?  Why, 
it  must  have  been  as  old  as  his  grandfather.  Such  guns 
haven't  been  used  since  the  days  of  George  the  Third." 

"Is  he  hurt?"  asked  Jack,  seeing  O'Rafferty  run  to  his 
assistance. 

A  slight  examination  showed  the  Irishman  that,  though 
Mr.  Mole's  face  was  blackened,  and  his  hands  burnt  a 
little,  he  had  escaped  without  any  serious  injury. 

The  keepers  who  were  near  him  had  not  been  so  lucky. 

One  had  received  a  splinter  in  the  leg,  and  the  other 
was  peppered  about  the  arm  with  some  No.  2  shot. 

"He's  all  right,"  replied  O'Rafferty. 

"I  am  not  all  right,"  answered  Mr.  Mole,  springing  to 
his  feet.  "This  is  some  diabolical  plot  to  ruin  me.  I 
know  Harkaway  of  old.  Good-bye,  gentlemen.  I'm  off, 
as  I  do  not  choose  to  risk  my  precious  life  in  your 
company. 


I A  CK  HARK  A  WAY  AT  OXFChD.  i  o  I 

A  gate  leading  into  a  small  meadow  was  before  him, 
and  he  climbed  over  it. 

"Hi,  sir!  Stop!"  said  Harkaway.  "It  wasn't  our 
fault.  You  shall  have  my  gun." 

Mr.  Mole  waved  his  hand  carelessly,  and  disappeared 
behind  a  hedge. 

"Where  has  he  got  to?"  asked  the  squire.  "By 
Jove  !  I  think  that  is  the  field  the  bull  is  in.  I  say,  Jarvis, 
stop  that  whimpering.  If  you  have  got  a  charge  of  shot 
in  you,  it  won't  kill  you,  will  it?" 

"  No,  sir,"  answered  the  keeper,  making  a  grimace. 

"The  gentleman  will  give  you  a  five-pound  note,  I 
daresay,  by  way  of  a  shinplaster;  will  he  not,  Mr. 
Harkaway  ? " 

"Oh,  yes;  undoubtedly." 

"I  never  knew  a  keeper  in  my  life  who  objected  to  a 
peppering  if  he  got  his  fist  full  of  gold  for  it,"  continued 
Squire  Western,  adding,  "  Now  then,  answer  my  ques- 
tion. Isn't  our  bull  in  that  field  ? '' 

"Yes,  sir;  and  almighty  savage  he  is  too,"  replied 
Jarvis. 

"Call  the  gentleman  back  then,  and  look  slippery,  or  it 
will  be  too  late. " 

The  whole  party  approached  the  gate  leading  to  the 
field  in  which  the  savage  bull  was  placed. 

"  Hi,  you,  sir,"  shouted  Jarvis,  "  mind  the  bull.  Look 
out,  sir." 

The  warning  came  too  late. 

Already  the  bull  had  seen  Mole,  and  Mole  had  seen  the 
bull. 

Lashing  his  flanks  with  his  tail,  and  muttering  a  deep 
bellowing,  the  bull  at  once  gave  chase. 

Away  went  Mole  with  the  wings  of  the  wind,  and  away 
went  the  bull  after  him. 

Fortunately  for  Mole,  the  bull  was  quite  at  the  extrem- 
ity of  the  small  paddock  when  he  sighted  the  intruder, 
who  had  not  far  to  run  to  reach  the  hedge. 

Here  again  he  was  at  fault. 

It  was  a  thick,  tall  and  quickset  hedge  without  the 
ghost  of  a  gap  in  it. 

How  to  get  over  was  the  question. 

In  vain  Mole  tried  to  climb  up  it. 

He  only  scratched  himself  in  the  hopeless  attempt. 


102  JACK  HARK  A  WAY  AT  OXFORD. 

Then  he  charged  it  with  his  back,  and  tried  to  butt  his 
way  through  it  with  his  hat. 

It  was  utterly  useless,  however,  to  persevere. 

While  he  was  deliberating  and  trembling  in  every  limb, 
bathed  in  a  cold  perspiration,  and  even  shedding  tears  of 
terror,  the  sound  of  the  bull's  hoofs  behind  him,  and  a 
deep  bellow,  riveted  him  to  the  spot,  frozen  with  horror. 

"  Harkaway  has  done  this  for  me,"  he  said  to  himself, 
with  ashy  lips,  from  which  issued  a  faint  moan. 

The  bull  saved  him  the  trouble  of  any  further  reflection, 
for,  putting  down  his  head,  he  very  quickly  lifted  Mole  on 
the  top  of  his  horns,  and  tossed  him  as  easily  over  the 
hedge  as  if  he  had  been  a  baby. 

This  was  witnessed  from  the  other  side  of  the  field. 


O'Rafferty  burst  into  a  roar  of  laughter. 
"That's  what  I   call    a  joke,"   he  sai 


said.  "That  man 
Mole  is  a  gift.  I  can  see  there  is  lots  of  fun  to  be  got  out 
of  him.  Is  he  always  like  that  ?  " 

"Always,"  replied  Jack.  "  Old  Mole's  a  great  lark,  I 
can  tell  you." 

"Don't  talk,  gentlemen,  if  you  please.  Skirt  this  field 
so  as  to  avoid  the  bull,  and  let  us  go  to  your  unfortunate 
friend.  He  may  be  seriously  injured,  and  that,  you  will 
admit,  would  be  no  joke,"  exclaimed  the  squire. 

Nothing  more  was  said. 

All  hastened  to  the  spot  where  Mole  had  disappeared, 
and  a  quick  run  of  a  few  minutes  brought  them  to  a 
labourer's  cottage,  at  the  back  of  which  was  the  hedge 
over  which  the  bull  had  tossed  him. 

"There  he  is.  Look,  look  !"  cried  Jack.  "What  on 
earth  is  the  man  doing  ?  " 

Mole  was  throwing  his  arms  about  wildly,  hitting  him- 
self on  his  head  and  face,  and  stamping  his  feet  vigour- 
ously. 

"He's  mad.  Perhaps  when  the  bull  hyked  him,  he  fell 
on  his  head,"  said  the  squire. 

"No,  me  boy,"  said  O'Rafferty,  whose  quick  eye  haa 
detected  the  cause  of  his  confusion.  "  Don't  you  see  the 
bee-hives  ?  " 

"The  what?" 

"Under  the  hedge  there.  Mole  has  tumbled  into  an 
apiary,  belonging  to  this  cottager,  and  the  bees  are 
resenting  the  intrusion." 


/A  CK  HARKA  WAY  AT  OXFORD.  \  03 

"So  they  are,  by  George,"  replied  Jack.  "They'll  kill 
him.  Bees  are  ugly  customers  to  tackle." 

Suddenly  Mole,  stung  to  madness,  went  off  at  a  run, 
but  he  had  not  gone  far  before  he  disappeared. 

He  seemed  to  have  sunk  into  the  bowels  of  the  earth. 

Nothing  could  have  been  stranger  than  his  mysterious 
vanishing. 

"  Where  has  he  gone  to  now  ?  "  asked  Jack. 

O'Rafferty  was  laughing  till  the  tears  ran  down  his 
cheeks. 

' '  Oh,  carry  me  out, "  he  said,  holding  his  sides.  ' '  Take 
me  home,  some  of  you,  or  he'll  be  the  death  of  me.  He 
makes  me  laugh  too  much." 

"  What  has  he  done  now  ?  "  inquired  Jack. 

"Can't  you  see  ?  He's  tumbled  down  the  well ;  there  is 
the  windlass  standing  close  by.  A  hundred  to  one  it's 
a  well,"  replied  O'Rafferty. 

"Really,"  remarked  the  squire,  "  you  are  a  most  heart- 
less young  man  ;  your  friend's  misfortunes  only  provoke 
your  mirth.  Perhaps  he's  dead  this  time." 

"Not  he,  my  good  sir,"  answered  the  Irishman.  "That 
man  has  as  many  lives  as  a  cat.  Don't  be  in  a  hurry  to 
get  him  out ;  the  water  will  cool  him." 

" Nonsense,  we  must  not  be  brutal,"  said  the  squire, 
impatiently. 

He  was  about  to  advance  to  the  well,  when  O'Rafferty 
laid  his  hand  on  his  arm. 

"  Wait,"  he  cried.  "Look,  there  is  the  cottager's  wife 
coming  for  some  water.  Now  you'll  see  a  lark,  or  I'm  a 
Dutchman." 

The  little  party  halted  again,  and,  concealed  by  a  thin 
fringe  of  shrubs,  watched  the  proceedings  of  the  woman, 
who,  as  she  held  a  jug  in  her  hand,  had  evidently  come 
for  some  water,  as  O'Rafferty  had  rightly  guessed. 

When  Mole  slipped  into  the  well,  he  had  caught  hold 
of  the  bucket,  which  went  down  with  him  till  he  reached 
the  bottom. 

Getting  into  the  bucket,  he  stood  upright,  holding  on 
to  the  chain  with  his  hands. 

The  woman  thought  the  bucket  very  heavy,  but  she 
steadily  wound  the  chain  round  the  windlass. 

To  her  surprise  and  horror,  a  man's  face  wild,  and  hag- 
gard, appeared  on  a  level  with  the  brickwork  of  the  well. 


1 04  JA  CK  HA  RKA  WAY  AT  OXFORD. 

Fancying  it  was  a  ghost  or  an  evil  spirit,  she  uttered  a 
piercing  shriek,  let  go  of  the  handle,  and  ran  howling  into 
the  house. 

Down  went  Mole  a  second  time,  cursing  the  woman's 
stupidity,  and  wondering  if  anyone  else  would  come  to 
his  aid. 

"  It  is  always  my  luck  when  I  go  out  with  Harkaway," 
he  said  to  himself;  "I  really  must  cut  that  young  gentle- 
man's acquaintance.  As  a  pupil  he  is  very  well,  but  as  a 
friend  dangerous  in  the  extreme." 

Seeing  that  the  woman  had  left  Mole  to  his  fate,  the 
squire  walked  to  the  well,  and  with  the  keepers'  assistance 
raised  the  bucket. 

Mole  stepped  out  more  dead  than  alive. 

He  was  sore  from  the  explosion  of  the  blunderbuss,  he 
ached  from  the  toss  the  bull  had  given  him,  he  smarted 
from  the  bees'  stings,  and  he  was  wet  through  and  chilled 
to  the  bone. 

"Take  me  home  to  die,"  he  moaned. 

"Put  him  to  bed  in  the  woman's  cottage,"  said  the 
squire.  "I  will  send  him  all  he  requires  from  my  house." 

This  was  accordingly  done. 

Mr.  Mole  went  to  bed,  and  had  some  ointment  rubbed 
over  his  stings.  When  he  woke  up  an  excellent  dinner 
had  been  sent  from  the  Hall,  and  the  next  morning  he 
was,  though  stiff,  able  to  crawl  home. 

Here  no  news  of  Ambonia  awaited  him. 

What  had  become  of  her,  was  simply  a  matter  of  con- 
jecture. 

"  No  news,  good  news  !  '*  thought  Mole. 


CHAPTER  LXIV. 


THE    LIGHT    IN   THE    SAND-PIT. 

SQUIRE  WESTERN  laughed  heartily  over  Mr.  Mole's  mis- 
adventures, when  he  found  that  he  was  not  seriously 
hurt. 

He  gave  the  two  Oxford  men  an  excellent  lunch,  and 
they  were  sorry  when  it  was  time  to  retrace  their  steps  to 
Mrs.  Travers's  residence. 


JA  CK  HA  RICA  WAY  AT  OXFORD.  1 05 

But  they  could  not  stay,  as  their  hostess  dined  at  six, 
and  they  had  several  miles  to  walk. 

Wishing  the  squire  good-day,  and  heartily  thanking 
him  for  his  kindness,  they  started  on  their  homeward 
journey,  both  a  little  flushed  and  excited  with  the  wine 
they  had  drunk  at  Mr.  Mole's  house  and  at  the  Hall. 

After  walking  about  a  mile,  they  lost  the  road,  which 
was  extremely  disagreeable,  as  they  did  not  know  the 
country  at  all. 

It  was  rapidly  growing  dark. 

"I  don't  like  this,''  remarked  Jack. 

"  Nor  1,"  remarked  O'Rafferty. 

He  stumbled  in  a  puddle  as  he  spoke,  splashing  the 
muddy  water  all  around. 

"  Hold  up,"  said  Jack. 

"  I'll  be  hanged  if  I  can,"  answered  O'Rafferty.  "I 
drank  too  much  of  that  champagne  at  Mr.  Western's,  and, 
like  a  donkey,  mixed  it  with  brandy." 

"Never  mix  your  liquors." 

"  I  don't  as  a  rule — hie — but  it's  no  use  denying  it,  I'm 
half-slewed,  and  the  further  I  walk,  the  worse  I  get." 

This  confession  took  Jack  by  surprise. 

He  found  himself  lost  on  a  dark  winter  night,  with  a 
companion  who  was  tipsy. 

What  was  he  to  do  ? 

"If  we  could  only  find  a  cottage,  with  a  good  fire,  I 
shouldn't  care,"  he  said,  perplexed. 

' '  Ah  !  "  exclaimed  O'Rafferty.  ' '  Cottages  are  fine  things. 
That's — hie — why  I  like  Ireland.  It's  all  cottages." 

"And  pigs,"  suggested  Jack. 

O'Rafferty  stopped  and  looked  at  him  with  drunken 
gravity  through  the  growing  darkness. 

"Is  it  insulting  me  country — hie — that  ye  are ? " 

"  Not  for  a  moment.  I  like  roast  pork  and  plenty  of 
potatoes,"  answered  Jack. 

•'Sure,  if  ye  was  to  say  one  wor-rd  against  me  country," 
continued  O'Rafferty,  staggering,  "  I'd  have  the  heart  out 
of  ye,  Harkaway.  I'm  an  Oirishman,  bredandbor-rn,  me 
boy,  and  I'm  proud  of  it.  With  me  sprig  of  shillayley  and 
shamrock  so  green,  och  ;  it's  an  iligant  thing  to  be  an 
Oirishman,  and  a  broth  of  a  bhoy  into  the  bargain." 

"  Doesn't  your  brogue  come  out  when  you're  tight," 
said  Jack. 


1 06  JA  CK  HA  RKA  WAY  AT  OXFORD. 

"  Small  blame  to  me,  if  I  don't  speak  like  the  Saxon." 
"Don't  stand  there,  jawing.     Come  along,  do,"  cried 
Jack,  impatiently. 

"  Ye're  as  bad  as  a  wife,  with  your  orders,  and  '  come 
along,  do's,'"  replied  O'Rafferty.  "Shall  I  sing  you  a 
song  ? 

"  '  Before  I  was  married,  I  did  as  I  liked, 

And  went  wherever  I  chose, 
But  now  I  am  wedded,  I'm  nothing  at  all; 
It's  my  wife  is  the  cause  of  me  woes.' 

Never  get  married,  Jack — hie — marriage  is  a  mistake,  me 
bhoy. " 

' '  Are  you  going  to  stay  here  all  night  ?  " 

"Not  knowing,  can't  say — hie." 

"Take  my  arm.  I'm  shivering  with  this  damp  search- 
ing cold,"  said  Jack. 

"  I'm  as  warm  as  a  toast.  Sit  down  and  have  a  song. 
I  have  been  screwed  before  this,"  remarked  O'Rafferty. 
"  Being  screwed  is  nothing  when  you're  used  to  it." 

Jack  fancied  he  saw  a  man  approaching  him. 

Nor  was  he  mistaken. 

A  tall  slouching  fellow,  came  close  to  them.  He  was 
dressed  in  a  rough,  careless  fashion,  looking  like  a  cross 
between  a  day-labourer  and  a  gipsy. 

"  I  say,  master,"  cried  Jack,  "can  you  tell  us  which  is 
the  Oxford  road? " 

"Yes,  I  can,  but  I  shan't,"  was  the  surly  reply. 

"I'll  give  you  five  shillings  if  you  will  put  us  in  the 
way." 

"Chuck  us  a  couple  of  dollars,  and  that  will  be  five 
bob  apiece  then, "  said  the  man. 

"Here's  half  a  sovereign,"  answered  Jack. 

The  man  took  it,  and  put  it  in  his  pocket,  and  whistling 
to  himself  walked  off. 

"  Here,  I  say — hi !  "  cried  Jack. 

"What  do  you  want?  "  cried  the  man,  stopping. 

"  You're  to  show  us  the  way." 

"I  didn't  say  so.  Good-night,"  replied  the  man,  and 
with  a  derisive  laugh,  he  vaulted  over  a  stile  and  disap- 
peared. 

"  Done,  by  Jove  !  "  cried  Jack,  flushing  angrily. 

"Done  by  a  clever  scoundrel,  I  should  say,''  replied 
O'Rafferty.  "  This  ought  to  be  a  lesson  to,  you,  me  boy. 


JA  CK  HARK  A  WAY  AT  OXFORD.  1 07 

Never  part  with  the  ready  until  a  service  has — hie — been 
hie — actually  rendered." 

"You're  right;  there  are  only  two  bad  paymasters, 
those  who  pay  beforehand  and  those  who  don't  pay  at 
all,"  replied  Jack,  bitterly. 

"If  that  fellow  had  only  stopped — hie — I'd  have  shown 
him  a  neat  imitation  of  Donnybrook  Fair,  with  me  sprig 
of  shillayley  and  shamrock  so  green." 


CHAPTER  LXV. 

THE     BLACK     BAND. 

"  PULL  yourself  together,"  said  Jack  to  O'Rafferty.  "  It 
will  never  do  to  stop  here  all  night.  Take  my  arm." 

With  some  difficulty  he  drew  his  unsteady  companion 
along. 

Once  or  twice  the  Irishman  let  his  gun  fall,  and  Jack 
had  to  carry  the  two'  under  his  disengaged  arm. 

The  moon,  which  was  in  its  first  quarter,  now  struggled 
through  the  ragged  drifting  clouds  which  continually  ob- 
scured its  disc. 

Suddenly  Jack  stopped,  and  threw  his  friend  violently 
backwards. 

"Ease  her,  back  her,  stop  her,"  said  O'Rafferty. 
"But  I  say,  me  jewel,  if  you  must  stop  the  ship,  do  it 
more  gently — hie — next  time.  You've  spoilt  a  new  pair  of 
'  sit-in-ems '  in  the  mud.  I  wish— hie— ye'd  keep  sober, 
Harkaway,  when  I  take  ye  out  for  a  day's  enjoyment." 

"Don't  you  see  we  are  on  the  edge  of  a  pit?"  replied 
Jack. 

"  Is  it  a  bottomless  pit — hie?  " 

"  I  can't  tell  what  it  is  at  present,  though  it  looks  to  me 
like  an  old  disused  sand-pit.  It's  lucky  the  moon  came 
out,  or  we  should  have  been  gone  coons." 

He  peered  down  into  the  depths  of  the  pit. 

All  at  once  he  laid  his  hand  on  his  companion's  arm, 
saying— 

"Hush!" 

"Hush-a-bye,  baby  on  the-tree  top  !  "  sang  O'Rafferty- 


108  JA  CK  HARK  A  WAY  AT  OXFORD. 

"Deuce  take  it,  man  !"  cried  Jack,  losing  his  temper. 
"  Will  you  be  quiet  ?  " 

"  What  is  it  then  ?" 

"  I  see  a  light  in  the  pit. " 

"Jack-o'-lantern  perhaps." 

"It  is  a  lantern.  Probably  it  belongs  to  gipsies  or 
thieves. " 

"Anyone  is  better  than  no  one  at  a  time — hie — like 
this,"  said  O'Rafferty.  "  I'll  go  and  join  them  ;  perhaps 
they've  got  a  drop  of  the  crater  and  a  bit  of  bacca.  Come 
along." 

Before  he  could  prevent  him,  O'Rafferty  stepped  forward, 
and  losing  his  footing  on  the  top  of  the  pit,  vanished. 

"Good  Heavens  !  "  cried  Jack,  "  the  foolish  fellow  will 
be  killed.  He  has  fallen  into  the  pit." 

It  was  true. 

O'Rafferty  had  disappeared  in  the  gloomy  abyss. 

Feeling  embarrassed  with  the  guns  which  he  carried, 
Harkaway  laid  them  down  under  a  bush. 

For  this  he  was  sorry  afterwards. 

The  accident  that  had  happened  to  O'Rafferty  alarmed 
him. 

He  had  begun  to  like  his  volatile  friend,  who  was  cer- 
tainly amusing  if  nothing  else. 

The  Irishman's  fondness  for  practical  joking  was  not 
t  at  all  times  to  be  approved  of,  but  it  was  born  in  him. 

Thinking  only  of  O'Rafferty,  Jack  looked  at  the  side  of 
the  pit,  and  after  a  slight  examination,  found  that  the 
bank  was  shelving  and  not  upright  or  perpendicular. 

This  was  a  reassuring  fact. 

On  the  rough  edge  of  the  bank  grew  some  wild  stunted 
shrubs  and  trees,  by  the  aid  of  which  Jack  groped  his 
way  down. 

The  depth  was  not  great. 

Perhaps  not  more  than  five  and  twenty  or  thirty  feet, 
and  in  a  short  time  Jack  had  gained  the  bottom. 

He  looked  around  him. 

The  lantern  had  disappeared,  and  there  was  not  a 
gleam  of  light  to  be  seen,  except  the  silvery  radiance 
which  was  afforded  by  the  infant  moon. 

Disused  for  some  years,  the  sand-pit  in  some  places 
was  filled  with  water,  which  at  the  further  extremity — 
that  being  the  lowest  part,  was  some  yards  in  depth. 


JA  CK  HARK  A  WAY  AT  OXFORD.  1 09 

O'Rafferty  had  rolled  down  the  shallowest  part  ;  though, 
had  he  been  on  the  other  side,  he  would  have  tumbled 
over  a  precipitous  cliff  into  a  deep  lake. 

A  groan  startled  Jack. 

"O'Rafferty,"  he  cried,  "  are  you  near  me ? " 

"  I  believe  you,  me  boy,"  was  the  ready  answer. 
"  I've  got  a  beautiful  bed  of  sandstone,  and  will  thank  ye 
to  lave  me  alone,  for  it's  just  forty  winks  I'm  going  to 
have,  and  sleep  off  the  champagne — hie.  If  it  hadn't 
been  gooseberry,  it  wouldn't  have  had  any  effect  on — hie 
—Dennis  O'Rafferty." 

' '  You  are  not  hurt  ?  " 

"Devil  a  bit— hie  !  " 

"  No  bones  broken  ? "  continued  Jack. 

"Not  a  rib.  It  was  as  easygoing  down  as  shelling 
peas,  or  rolling  along  that  hill  in  Greenwich  Park  on 
Good  Friday  with  a  pretty  girl  by  your  side  screaming 
with — hie — ginger-beer  and  joy.  Good-night  ;  make 
yourself  happy,  and  believe  me  to  be,  yours  truly,  Dennis 
O'Rafferty— hie  ? " 

A  loud  snore,  which  Jack  had  before  taken  for  a  groan, 
followed  this  speech. 

Feeling  convinced  that  the  Irishman  could  not  come  to 
any  harm  where  he  was  for  a  short  time,  Jack  gave  up 
the  idea  of  trying  to  wake  him. 

"Let  him  sleep  off  the  wine,"  he  muttered.  "He  can't 
hurt." 

Remembering  that  he  had  seen  a  lantern  moving  about 
in  the  pit,  he  fancied  that  some  tramp  had  found  out  a 
corner  in  which  he  was  in  the  habit  of  sleeping  when 
passing  that  way,  or  a  band  of  gipsies  might  have  a  rest- 
ing-place there. 

Picking  his  way  very  carefully  to  avoid  falling  into 
holes  and  tumbling  into  the  water,  Jack  wandered  about 
the  pit. 

It  was  very  difficult  to  move  about  in  the  darkness. 

A  length  Jack  knocked  his  elbow  against  a  projecting 
ledge  in  the  side  of  the  sand-pit. 

"  Hold  hard,"  he  said  to  himself. 

Turning  his  head  a  little  on  one  side,  so  as  to  see  what 
v/as  beyond  the  hedge  he  held  his  breath. 

He  heard  voices. 

He  saw  a  light 


HO  JA  CK  HARK  A  WAY  AT  OXFORD. 

True,  it  was  only  a  faint  glimmer,  but  still  it  was  not  a 
Jack-o'-lantern  or  Will-o'-the-wisp. 

Sinking  on  his  hands  and  knees,  he  crawled  very  gently 
along  the  damp  sand  for  about  half  a  dozen  yards,  when 
he  perceived  two  men,  who  were  talking  together. 

The  light  proceeded  from  a  narrow  fissure  in  the  side 
of  the  cliff,  protected  by  a  small  tree  which  grew  close  to 
it. 

He  could  not  doubt  that  this  was  the  entrance  to  a  cave. 

Perhaps  the  cave  was  of  natural  growth,  or  it  might 
have  been  cut  out  of  the  soft  stone  by  human  hands. 

There  was  scarcely  any  moonshine,  and  the  stars  were 
few  and  far  between,  so  that  it  was  with  difficulty  Jack 
could  perceive  anything. 

However  he  lay  perfectly  still  and  listened. 

"It  isn't  time  yet,"  said  one  of  the  men.  "  It  can't  be 
more  than  seven  o'clock,  and  I  never  cracked  a  crib  in  my 
life  before  twelve." 

"  Who  wants  to  hurry  ?  "  replied  the  other. 

"Not  I.  Come  inside,  and  I'll  give  you  a  game  of  crib 
for  a  hour  or  two." 

" I've  got  no  money." 

"I'll  trust  you.  We  shall  get  plenty  of  swag  to-night 
at  Squire  Western's.  They  say  his  plate  is  worth  thou- 
sands." 

This  remark  enlightened  Jack. 

He  had  come  across,  accidentally,  a  band  of  men  who 
were  going  to  commit  a  burglary  at  the  house  of  the  hos- 
pitable squire  who  had  entertained  him  and  his  friend  but 
a  short  time  before. 

Though  his  intention  was  a  dangerous  one,  he  could 
not  resist  the  temptation  of  ventriloquising  a  little. 

Throwing  his  voice  out  into  the  middle  of  the  sand-pit, 
he  exclaimed  in  a  rough  tone — 

"  You  must  be  a  couple  of  flats." 

The  men  started. 

"  Ha,  ha,  ha  !  "  laughed  Jack.  "  You  are  going  to  rob 
Squire  Western,  thinking  his  plate  is  gold  and  silver,  when 
it's  all  duffing  electro.  Ha,  ha  !  " 

"  Did  you  hear  that,  Ben  Shardler? "  said  one  of  the 
men,  nervously. 

"Yes,  I  did,  Dick  Menzey,"  answered  the  other, 
equally  alarmed. 


JA  CK  HA  RKA  WAY  AT  OXFORD.  1 1 1 

This  gave  Jack  a  knowledge  of  their  names,  for  though 
they  spoke  gently,  he  heard  them  distinctly,  being  close 
to  them,  while  they  thought  him  a  long  way  off. 

"It's  time  you  were  copped,  Ben  Shardler,"  he  cried. 
"The  police  have  been  after  you  long  enough." 

"He  knows  my  name,"  said  Shardler. 

"It's  a  detective,"  replied  Menzey. 

"Speak  different,"  continued  Shardler. 

"What  do  you  mean.  Ackber  angsler  ?  "  said  Men- 
zey. 

"Esyer,"  exclaimed  Shardler. 

Luckily  Jack  understood  what  they  intended  to  do,  for 
he  had  heard  a  dog-fancier  in  Oxford,  who  knew  every 
thing  and  everybody,  explain  one  day  what  the  language 
of  betting  men  and  thieves  was. 

Men  of  that  description  have  invented  a  language  very 
difficult  to  interpret,  but  which  is  easily  intelligible  to 
those  who  are  instructed  in  it. 

The  mode  of  speaking  is  simple  enough. 

The  language  is  called  back  slang. 

To  speak  it,  you  must  take  off  the  first  letter  from  each 
word. 

This  is  put  at  the  end. 

Then  you  add  "er." 

Sometimes  "  k  "  is  added  before  or  after  a  vowel  as  in 
the  case  of  "if,"  or  "I,"  which  would  make  "ifker"  or 
' '  iker. " 

So  that  "ackber  angsler,"  is  simply  "  back  slang,"  and 
"esyer,"  is  "yes." 

With  this  explanation  our  reader  will  be  able  to  follow 
the  conversation  of  the  two  thieves. 

"I  mean  to  have  you  to-night,  all  the  lot  of  you,"  ex- 
claimed Jack. 

"Oder  ouyer  earner  atther?"  said  Shardler;  "eher 
eansmer  oter  opker  oter  ightner. " 

"  Otner  ifker  Iker  nowker  itker,"  answered  Menzey. 

"Who's  in  the  cave?"  asked  Jack.  "You'd  best  tell 
the  truth. " 

The  two  men  held  a  consultation. 

Shardler  said — 

"  Right  you  are.     I'll  settle  him.     Where  is  he?  " 

"Not  far  off,"  answered  Menzey.  "  Dead  men  tell  no 
tales." 


112  JACK  HARK  A  WAY  AT  OXFORD. 

"True  for  you,  my  boy,"  responded  Shardler. 

As  he  spoke  he  ran  forward  in  the  darkness,  and  was 
presently  heard  plunging  in  some  water. 

' '  Here  I  am.  Come  on, "  said  Jack,  as  if  he  was  straight 
in  front  of  him. 

"  Help,  I'm  drowning,"  cried  Shardler. 

"  More  fool  you,"  replied  Menzey.  ''If  you  have  got 
into  the  water,  you  must  get  out  of  it" 

In  a  short  time  Shardler  emerged  wet  and  shiver- 
ing. 

"  Ha,  ha,  ha  !  "  laughed  Jack. 

"He's  there,"  cried  Shardler.  "I  only  wish  I  could 
swim,  I'd  have  him." 

"On'tder  alkter  oser  oudler,"  cried  Menzey,  cau- 
tiously. 

"  Ouyer  aveker  aker  ryter,"  said  Shardler. 

Menzey  thought  he  would  have  a  try,  but  he  took  a 
roundabout  route  and  unluckily  fell  over  Jack. 

Turning  round  he  seized  him  in  a  grasp  of  iron. 

"  Omeker  oter  ymer  cipher,"  he  cried. 

Shardler  was  by  his  side  in  a  moment. 

Between  them  they  overpowered  Jack. 

"  So  we  have  got  you  at  last,  my  man,"  said  Shardler. 
"You  will  have  to  come  inside,  and  if  ever  you  come  out 
of  that  cave  alive,  you'll  have  luck  on  your  side." 

It  was  in  vain  for  Jack  to  make  any  further  resistance, 
for  the  two  men  were  more  than  a  match  for  him. 

They  held  him  tightly,  and  dragged  him  through  a  small 
opening  into  the  cave. 

The  passage  was  long  and  narrow. 

At  length  it  opened  into  a  series  of  sandstone  caverns, 
in  one  of  which  he  saw  half  a  dozen  men  assembled. 

They  were  smoking  and  drinking  ;  some  were  playing 
cards,  others  talking  over  a  great  fire,  the  smoke  of  which 
rolled  in  heavy  volumes  to  the  ceiling,  and  disappeared 
through  an  aperture  in  the  sandstone. 

Their  seats  were  rudely-made  benches  of  wood,  and 
there  were  two  tables  of  unpolished  deal,  on  which  stood 
bottles  and  a  jar  of  tobacco. 

The  men  were  ill-looking  gipsies. 

As  Shardler  and  Menzey  entered  with  their  captive,  they 
all  looked  up  inquiringly. 

"At'swher  ether  ameger?  "  asked  one. 


JA  CK  HARK  A  WAY  AT  OXFORD.  1 1  3 

"Ewer  aveker  otger  aker  isonerprer,"  replied  Men- 
aey. 

"  Allker  ether  aptainker,"  said  Shardler. 

One  of  the  men  went  to  a  bed  of  moss  and  straw  in  a 
corner,  and  roused  a  man. 

By  the  dim  light  of  an  oil  lamp,  which  hung  from  the 
ceiling  Jack  perceived  features  which  were  well  known  to 
him. 

"  Hunston  !  "  he  involuntarily  exclaimed. 

The  captain  of  the  thieves  was  his  old  enemy. 

Hunston  was  in  command  of  the  band  in  whose  power 
he-  unhappily  found  himself. 

"  Harkaway  ! ;'  replied  Hunston,  who  was  equally 
astonished. 

Jack  glanced  defiantly  at  him. 

He  could  now  guess  were  Hunston  had  been  hiding, 
while  the  Oxford  police  had  been  looking  everywhere  but 
in  the  right  place  for  him. 

"Isker  eher  loneaker  !  "  said  Hunston. 

"  Esyer,  aptainker,"  replied  Menzey. 

" Erewher  idder  ouyer  indfer  imker?" 

"Outker  ideser  ether  aveker." 

"  Indber  isker  armsker,"  said  Hunston. 

In  a  moment  a  thick  cord  was  fastened  round  Jack's 
arms,  and  he  was  rendered  powerless. 

' '  What  do  you  mean  to  do  with  me  ?  "  asked  Jack. 

"Kill  you,"  replied  Hunston,  with  a  savage  glance. 
"You  have  fallen  into  the  hands  of  the  Black  Band,  and 
they  never  spare  their  enemies." 

"  You  can  not  mean  what  you  say,"  answered  Jack. 

"  Harkaway,"  said  Hunston,  "you  have  been  my  ruin 
through  life.  I  should  not  now  be  in  the  position  I  am, 
were  it  not  for  you,  and  do  you  think  I  ever  forget  or 
forgive  ? " 

"You  might  at  least  be  merciful  to  a  man  who  has 
never  intentionally  done  you  any  harm." 

"Bah  !  "  replied  Hunston,  "when  I  see  you,  Harkaway, 
I  become  a  wild  beast ;  I  long  for  blood." 

"I  always  thought  you  were  a  brute  and  a  savage,'" 
replied  Jack  coolly. 

Hunston  waved  his  one  arm,  and  said — 

"You  have  been  the  cause  of  all  my  misfortunes,  and 
by  Heaven,  I  will  have  my  revenge  at  last.  If  you  had 


114  JACK  HARK  A  WAY  AT  OXFORD. 

not  the  luck  of  Old  Nick,  I  should  have  settled  accounts 
with  you  before  now." 

"  While  there  is  life  there  is  hope,"  answered  Jack,  af- 
fecting a  gaiety  he  did  not  feel. 

"Take  him  into  the  outer  cave  and  let  him  lie  there. 
Tie  his  legs,  and  shoot  him  if  he  moves,"  replied  Hun- 
ston. 

Shardler  and  Menzey  carried  Jack  between  them  into  a 
dark  and  gloomy  cavern,  fastened  his  legs  with  a  stout 
cord,  and  there  left  him. 

"This  is  a  pleasant  lookout,"  said  Jack  to  himself. 
"It's  Pisang  over  again.  I  wonder  if  I'm  doomed  to 
croak  this  time  ?  " 

He  was  indeed  in  a  desperate  situation. 

It  was  no  joke  to  be  in  the  power  of  such  a  villain  as 
Hunston. 


CHAPTER  LXVI. 
IN  THE  THIEVES'  CAVE. 

A  SLIGHT  reflection  showed  Jack  that  there  was  little 
chance  of  his  escaping  from  the  Black  Band,  of  which 
Hunston  was  the  captain. 

If  any  of  his  members  wished  to  show  him  mercy,  they 
could  not  do  so. 

He  was  in  possession  of  their  secret. 

The  Oxford  police  would  offer  a  large  reward  for  in- 
formation leading  to  the  capture  of  a  band  of  robbers  who 
had  already  made  themselves  well  known. 

Many  country  houses  had  been  broken  into  round  about, 
and  valuables  to  a  large  amount  carried  off. 

Owing  to  such  of  the  thieves  as  had  been  seen  by  the 
terrified  inmates,  wearing  a  dark-coloured  mask,  they  had 
acquired  the  name  of  the  Black  Band. 

Hunston  was  just  the  desperate  sort  of  villain  to  com- 
mand such  scoundrels. 

He  had  enlisted  in  his  service  a  gipsy,  a  fraudulent 
clerk,  an  escaped  convict,  three  discharged  prisoners,  and 
an  Italian  communist,  whose  dagger  was  ever  ready  to 
spill  blood. 


JA  CK  HA  RKA  WAY  AT  OXFORD.  j  1 5 

With  these  men,  he  had  taken  up  his  abode  in  the  secret 
caverns  of  the  old  sandstone,  which  formed  the  walls  of 
the  disused  pit. 

He  had  accidentally  discovered  their  existence,  when 
the  attempt  to  murder  Jack  in  the  Iffley  Road  rendered 
it  advisable  to  leave  the  city  and  hide  in  the  country. 

The  life  they  led  was  a  rough  uncomfortable  one,  for 
the  only  bed  they  could  obtain  was  a  truss  of  straw  and  a 
handful  or  so  of  leaves. 

But  the  robbers  did  not  intend  to  continue  for  ever  in 
the  same  line  of  business. 

It  was  arranged  between  them  that  when  they  had 
collected  a  certain  sum  of  money,  it  should  be  divided 
between  them. 

Then  they  should  separate  and  each  go  his  own  way, 
the  secret  of  the  Black  Band  being  locked  up  in  their 
breasts. 

After  Jack  was  removed,  they  talked  earnestly  together 
for  some  time. 

About  ten  o'clock,  four  men,  armed  with  all  the  tools 
required  by  burglars,  left  the  cave,  and  took  the  direction 
of  Squire  Western's  house,  which  they  had  resolved  to  rob 
that  night. 

Jack  heard  them  go,  and  guessing  their  errand,  longed 
for  liberty,  if  only  to  put  the  squire  on  his  guard. 

The  damp  cold  of  the  cave  in  which  he  was  lying, 
penetrated  his  bones,  and  this,  added  to  the  excitement  of 
his  mind,  prevented  him  from  sleeping. 

Besides  this  he  suffered  from  a  raging  thirst. 

Closing  his  eyes,  he  tried  to  forget  his  troubles. 

He  fell  into  a  sort  of  dog  sleep  at  last,  from  which  he 
was  roused  by  the  sound  of  voices. 

The  robbers  had  evidently  returned  from  their  expedi- 
tion. 

"Where  is  Red-Handed  Dick  ?  "  he  heard  Hunston  in- 
quire. 

"Shot  through  the  heart,  captain,"  replied  the  man 
called  Menzey. 

"  You  are  sure  he  is  dead  ?  " 

"  I  fired  my  own  pistol  through  his  head,  to  make  sure 
of  him,"  replied  the  ruffian,  with  a  grim  smile. 

' '  That  is  right.  We  make  it  a  rule  to  leave  no  wounded 
behind,  so  that  only  a  corpse  should  fall  into  the  hands  of 


1 1 6  JACK  HARK  A  WAY  AT  OXFORD. 

the  police  ;  and  corpses  tell  nothing.  What  plunder  have 
you  brought  off  ?  " 

"  Only  a  ladies'  jewel-case  ;  the  plate  was  too  heavy, 
and  there  was  a  strong  resistance.  All  the  household 
turned  out  with  guns,  when  the  infernal  dogs  barked  and 
blew  the  gaff  upon  us,"  replied  Menzey. 

"Yes,"  remarked  Shardler;  "if  any  of  them  had  been 
cool  enough  to  shoot,  we  shouldn't  be  here  now." 

"Poor  Dick,"  said  Hunston.  "He  was  the  prince  of 
villains.  I  could  have  wished  him  a  better  end.  Fall  to, 
my  lads;  your  supper  is  on  the  table,  and  you  have 
earned  it." 

"Won't  you  join  us,  captain?" 

"Not  now  ;  I  am  going  to  speak  to  the  prisoner,"  re- 
plied Hunston. 

A  cold  ham  and  half  a  dozen  fowls,  well  roasted  and 
stuffed  with  sausages,  flanked  with  good  wheaten  bread 
and  a  flagon  of  ale,  drawn  from  a  cask  which  stood  in  a 
corner,  invited  the  attention  of  the  Black  Band. 

This  good  fare  was  the  result  of  the  robbery  of  a  farm- 
house the  night  before. 

Taking  up  a  lamp,  Hunston  sought  Jack. 

Setting  the  lamp  down  upon  a  ledge,  so  as  to  throw  the 
light  full  upon  Harkaway's  face,  while  his  own  remained 
in  the  shadow,  he  stood  with  his  arms  folded  and  looked 
down  upon  his  prostrate  enemy. 

A  smile  of  cold-blooded  triumph  such  as  Jack  had  often 
seen  before  on  the  same  lips,  stole  over  Hunston's  face. 

The  face  was  altered  though,  strangely  altered  of  late. 

Young  though  he  was,  evil  passions  had  set  their  marks 
and  lines  upon  its  rugged  exterior,  and  a  life  of  dissipation 
and  unbridled  excess,  had  stamped  him  as  a  slave  of 
vice. 

If  the  face  is,  as  Lavater  says,  an  index  or  reflex  of  the 
mind,  then  Hunston  bore  his  character  as  plainly  branded 
on  him  as  was  Cain's. 

"Fate  seems  to  be  against  you,  Harkaway,"  he  said. 

"  Why  ?  "  asked  Jack,  drily. 

"  Because  you  are  thrown  into  my  hands  in  a  most  un- 
expected manner.  This  is  a  pleasure  I  did  not  dream  of." 

' '  Pleasure  to  see  me  ?  "  repeated  Jack. 

"  Of  course  it  is,  under  the  circumstances.  You  are  in 
my  power  once  more.  I  was  only  waiting  for  this  oppor- 


JA  CK  HA  RKA  WAY  AT  OXFORD.  \  \  7 

tunity.  It  has  come  sooner  than  I  expected,  though  I 
knew  it  must  arrive  at  an  early  date." 

"How  so  ?" 

"Through  Kemp.  He  meant  to  accuse  you  of  the  rob- 
bery of  the  bank,  and  when  you  were  convicted  of  the 
charge  by  the  porter's  evidence  and  sent  to  prison,  all 
would  be  over.  Kemp  would  have  avenged  poor  Davis's 
death,  and  I  should  have  wiped  off  old  scores.  But," 
added  Hunston,  reflectively,  "  it  is  better  thus.  You  shall 
die  out  of  the  way,  and  no  one  shall  know  what  has  be- 
come of  you." 

Jack  was  silent,  though  his  eyes  burned  with  an  unnat- 
ural lustre,  and  his  parched  lips  quivered. 

"I  forgot  one  thing,"  continued  Hunston.  "Emily 
shall  know  that  you  are  dead,  so  that  she  may  grieve  for 
you." 

"Emily  will  never  be  yours,"  said  Jack,  goaded  to  des- 
peration. 

"That  is  more  than  you  can  tell." 

"We  love  one  another  too  well,"  answered  Jack,  "  for 
one  ever  to  forget  the  other.  She  may  pine  away  and 
die." 

"Or  go  mad,"  suggested  Hunston,  who  seemed  to  wish 
to  heap  every  conceivable  torture  upon  the  head  of  his 
enemy. 

"That  is  not  impossible;  but  she  will  never  forget 
me." 

"My  good  fellow,"  said  Hunston,  carelessly  lighting  a 
cigar,  which  was  one  of  the  best  money  could  buy  in 
Oxford,  "  you  are  a  mere  child.  What  is  love? '' 

"The  purest  passion  which  can  animate  the  human 
heart." 

"Not  at  all.  Do  you  believe  a  woman  when  she  says 
she  loves  you  ?  "  asked  Hunston. 

"  I  believe  Emily,"  continued  Jack. 

"  For  my  part,  if  a  woman  says  she  loves  me,  I  fancy 
she  has  not  dined  the  day  before,"  said  Hunston,  with  a 
coarse  laugh.  "  Love  is  sentimental  nonsense  ;  it  is  an 
art,  a  science  if  you  like,  and  women  are  its  professors." 

"  You  may  sneer  as  long  as  you  like,"  said  Jack.  "  It 
is  fellows  like  you  that  laugh  at  every  thing  good  and 
holy." 

"Say  your  prayers  if  you  wnnt  to  talk,"  replied  Hun- 


1 1 8  JACK  HA  RKA  WAY  AT  OXFORD. 

ston,  impatiently.  "But  don't  argue  with  me,  or  I  shall 
have  to  kick  you  on  the  head  to  keep  you  quiet. " 

"You  are  coward  enough  for  that,"  retorted  Jack, 
boldly. 

"  Coward  !     Why  am  I  a  coward?  " 

"Ask  yourself.  Were  you  not  a  coward  to  try  and 
stab  me  in  the  Iffley  Road.  Was  it  brave  to  kill  the  poor 
Jew  !  Was  it  honest  to  rob  the  bank?  " 

"  Who  can  prove  that  I  did  any  of  these  things  ?  " 

"  I  am  sure  of  it." 

"You?"  cried  Hunston,  contemptuously.  "Your 
word  is  not  worth  a  button.  I  would  not  give  a  brass 
farthing  for  your  oath.  Say  your  prayers,  I  tell  you." 

"I  have  said  them,"  answered  Jack,  mildly. 

"When?" 

"  While  I  was  lying  here,  and  I  am  not  ashamed  to 
own  it." 

"  Do  you  think  they  are  answered?  " 

"Not  yet,  or  I  should  be  out  of  your  power.  But  I 
can  wait,"  said  Jack. 

"  Wait !  "  repeated  Hjnston,  with  a  blasphemous  oath. 
"  Well,  yes,  you  may  have  to  wait.  Heaven  is  a  long 
way  off,  you  see,  and  you  can't  always  expect  an  answer 
by  return  of  post." 

Jack  shuddered. 

Hunston 's  impiety  was  awful,  and  his  recklessness 
shocked  him  immensely. 

"There  is  not  much  difficulty  in  telling  where  you  will 
go,"  he  said. 

"  Where  is  that  ?  "  asked  Hunston. 

"To  the  devil's  kingdom,"  replied  Jack. 

"Perhaps,"  said  Hunston  carelessly.  "I  have  been 
told  before  that  I  am  going  there  by  an  express  train  ; 
but  it  doesn't  matter,  I've  got  a  return  ticket." 

"  When  you  are  in  the  midst  of  flames  and "  began 

Jack. 

"Stop  preaching,  you  fool  I "  almost  screamed  Hun- 
ston, as  if  he  realized  the  picture  Jack  was  trying  to  raise 
before  his  eyes.  "  Listen  to  me.  I'm  not  ass  enough  to 
go  in  for  canting  humbug  if  you  are.  Talk  of  yourself 
and  leave  me  alone.  I've  got  a  jolly  sight  longer  to  live 
than  you." 

"  I'm  not  dead  yet,"  said  Jack. 


JA  CK  HARK  A  WAY  AT  OXFORD.  i  1 9 

"  Do  you  know  how  long  you've  got  to  live  ? "  said 
Hunston,  with  a  searching  glance. 

"An  hour?  "  asked  Jack,  affecting  a  smile,  which  was 
far  from  being  genuine. 

"  Longer  than  that.  How  long  do  you  think  you  could 
live  without  food  or  water?  " 

"Perhaps  eight-and-forty  hours." 

"  Men  have  been  known  to  live  nine  days,  enduring 
horrible  sufferings,  for  the  want  of  any  thing  to  eat  or 
drink,"  exclaimed  Hunston. 

"  I  doubt  it,"  said  Jack. 

"  You  will  have  an  opportunity  of  judging  in  your  own 
person  before  long,"  continued  Hunston. 

"I?" 

"  Yes  ;  you,  my  boy.  I  could  kill  you  outright,  but  I 
want  you  to  die  a  lingering  and  horrible  death,  because 
I  hate  you  so." 

After  looking  at  his  prisoner  a  minute,  Hunston  con- 
tinued— 

"Look  at  my  armless  shoulder.  Who  shot  off  my 
arm  ? " 

"It  was  done  in  self-defence." 

"  Look  at  what  you  have  made  me." 

"You  cannot  blame  me.  I  have  offered  to  start  you  in 
life,"  said  Jack  ;  "  but  you  prefer  a  vagabond  existence." 

"Do  I?  Take  that  for  your  insolence,"  cried  Hun- 
ston. 

He  brutally  kicked  Jack  in  the  mouth  as  he  lay  bound 
on  the  floor,  and  covered  his  face  with  blood. 

"Coward?"  exclaimed  Jack,  all  his  old  spirit  rising 
within  him.  "I  defy  you.  Kill  me  by  inches,  if  you 
like — cut  me  to  pieces — I  will  show  you  how  a  brave 
man  can  die  and  shame  a  coward." 

"  We  shall  see,"  answered  Hunston. 

Turning  to  the  cavity  which  answered  the  purpose  of 
a  doorway  from  one  room  to  the  other,  he  exclaimed — 

"  Enzeymer  !  " 

Menzey,  half  drunk  as  he  was,  responded  to  his  call. 

"  Idder  ouyer  allker,  aptainker  ?  "  he  said. 

"Esyer." 

"Atwher  oder  ouyer  antwer  ?  " 

' '  Etger  ricksber  andker  ortarmer  oter  utsher  ether  rison- 
erper  inker  isther  aultver  orfer  everer." 


120  JACK  HARK  A  WAY  AT  OXFORD. 

Menzey  started  in  amazement  at  this  order. 

"  Etler  itker  eber  onder  atker  onceker.  On'tder  oseler 
aker  omentmer,"  continued  Hunston. 

Menzey  bowed  in  token  of  obedience  and  went  away. 

"  I  shall  see  you  once  more,  and  then  we  part  for  ever," 
exclaimed  Hunston. 

Jack  made  no  answer. 

Hunston  took  up  the  lamp,  and  joined  his  men  in  the 
other  cave,  leaving  Jack  alone  in  the  dark. 

No  wonder  that  Jack's  soul  sank  within  him. 

He  had  only  too  well  understood  the  command  Hun- 
ston had  given  to  his  lieutenant  Menzey. 

This  is  what  he  had  said — 

"  Get  brick  and  mortar  to  shut  the  prisoner  in  this  vault 
for  ever. " 

And  then  he  added — 

"  Let  it  be  done  at  once.     Don't  lose  a  moment." 

Now  Jack  knew  what  he  meant  by  a  lingering  death 
by  starvation. 

Hunston  intended  to  brick  up  the  entrance  to  the  inner 
cavern  in  the  sandstone. 

This  would  make  Harkaway  a  close  prisoner,  without 
any  hope  of  escape,  and  he  would  die  in  the  cruellest 
manner  that  the  mind  of  man  could  conceive. 

Shutting  his  eyes,  he  tried  to  fancy  it  was  all  a  hideous 
dream. 

Only  a  short  time  before  he  had  been  enjoying  himself 
with  O'Rafferty  at  Squire  Western's. 

If  he  had  been  in  the  Malay  Archipelago,  he  would 
have  expected  some  atrocious  treatment,  but  in  England, 
not  many  miles  from  Oxford,  the  thing  was  incredible. 

Difficult  to  believe  as  it  was,  Jack  did  not  shirk  the 
truth. 

It  seemed  that  if  any  assistance  came  to  him,  it  must 
be  something  more  than  human. 


JACK  HARK  A  WAY  AT  OXFORD. 


CHAPTER    LXVII. 
O'RAFFERTY   WAKES  UP. 

IT  was  quite  late  when  O'Rafferty  woke  up,  wondering 
very  much  where  he  was.  His  head  ached,  and  so  did 
his  limbs,  from  the  cold,  which  was  severe  and  penetrat- 
ing. 

A  few  moments'  reflection  brought  all  that  had  hap- 
pened back  to  his  mind,  and  he  recollected  how  he  had 
drunk  too  much  champagne,  lost  his  way  with  Jack,  and, 
to  wind  matters  up,  fallen  down  the  side  of  the  sand-pit. 

"  If  there  was  a  way  in,  there  must  be  a  way  out,"  he 
said  to  himself. 

By  the  aid  of  the  moon,  he  climbed  the  side,  and  stood 
on  level  ground  again. 

Thinking  Jack  had  given  him  up,  and  gone  on  his  way 
without  him,  he  resolved  to  try  and  find  the  road. 

This  he  was  fortunate  enough  to  do,  and  an  hour's 
walking  brought  him  to  a  village  containing  a  second-rate 
inn,  the  door^of  which  was  open. 

"Here's  luck,"  he  cried.  "I  shall  go  no  further  to- 
night. " 

Entering  the  hotel,  he  was  greatly  surprised  to  find  that 
he  had  been  there  before,  during  some  occasion  when  he 
had  driven  from  Oxford  into  the  country. 

The  Stag  Inn,  as  it  was  called,  was  celebrated  among 
university  men  for  being  reached  by  a  pleasant  drive 
through  a  pretty  country ;  in  addition  to  which  the 
traveller  could,  as  a  rule  make  sure  of  a  famous  pigeon- 
pie,  a  tender  steak,  and  a  juicy  chop,  with  mashed  pota- 
toes, all  done  to  a  turn,  and  washed  dcwn  with  some  of 
Salt's  best  Oxford  ale. 

Mrs.  O'Leary,  a  widow,  kept  the  inn,  and  was  a  chatty 
little  body,  not  much  on  the  wrong  side  of  forty,  and  an 
Irishwoman,  as  her  name  signified. 

O'Rafferty,  as  usual,  had  played  her  a  few  tricks,  and 
she  remembered  him  well  as  the  young  gentleman  who 
was  "up  to  his  fun  and  divilment,"  as  she  expressed  it. 


122  JACK  If  ARK  A  WAY  AT  OXFORD. 

"Ah,  me  dear  Mrs.  O'Leary  !  "  he  cried,  as  he  entered 
the  little  bar  parlour  in  which  she  was  sitting,  "it's  me- 
self  that's  a  lucky  boy  this  night." 

"And  what  will  yez  be  wanting  at  this  time  of  night 
in  a  respectable  house,  Misther  O'Rafferty  ? "  replied  the 
widow. 

"Shure  and  it's  the  bite  and  the  sup  which  ye  won't 
refuse  to  a  poor  belated  counthryman  ;  that  wouldn't  be 
thrue  to  your  swate  nature,  aroon." 

"As  for  the  pigeon-pie  and  the  beer,  you're  as  welcome 
as  the  flowers  in  May,''  answered  the  landlady. 

"  It's  all  I  want,  save  a  kiss  from  those  lips,  which  are 
more  ravishing  in  their  rich  tints  than  those  of  Van  us 
herself,"  said  O'Rafferty,  gallantly. 

"Go  along  wid  your  nonsense  !  Will  yer  sup  in  the 
bar  ? " 

"  And  where  else  would  I  sup  ?  Is  it  lave  your  society 
you'd  wish  me  to  ?  It's  hurtful  to  my  falings,  Mrs. 
O'Leary,  to  think  of  such  a  thing.  Order  in  the  dove 
tart,  and  I'll  show  you  where  an  Irishman's  appetite  lies." 

"  It's  the  ould  ale  your  honour  drinks?  " 

"It's  that  same,  Mrs.  O'Leary." 

The  widow  called  a  servant,  who  quickly  laid  the  cloth, 
upon  which  she  placed  a  jug  of  foaming  beer  and  a  cold 
pigeon-pie,  which  was  not  all  steak  and  crust,  but  fairly 
represented  the  pigeon  interest,  and  was  daintily  sprinkled 
with  hard-boiled  eggs. 

"  This  is  mate  for  a  king.  Good  luck  to  you,  Mrs. 
O'Leary,  and  may  you  be  fortunate  with  your  next,"  said 
O'Rafferty. 

"  My  next !  What  does  yer  honour  mane  ? "  asked  the 
widow,  affecting  ignorance  of  his  drift. 

"Ah!  go  along  wid  your  innocence, "  he  continued. 
"It's  your  next  sweetheart  I'm  alluding  to,  and  the  man 
isn't  born  who's  good  enough  for  you.  Faix,  but  this  is 
a  jewel  of  a  pie.  More  power  to  your  elbow,  ma'am  ?  " 

So  he  continued  chatting,  much  to  the  widow's  delight, 
who  liked  his  compliments,  and  was  pleased  at  the  same 
time  to  see  a  countryman,  for  she  was  dearly  fond  of  her 
beloved  Ireland,  where  she  had  been  born  and  bred,  not 
coming  to  England  till  she  was  past  twenty  years  of 
age. 

When  he  had  finished  his  repast  he  threw  himself  back 


JA  CK  HARK  A  WAY  AT  OXFORD.  \  23 

in  his  chair,  lighted  a  cigar,  saying  "By  your  lav«, 
acushla,"  and  stretched  his  legs  out  to  the  fender. 

The  fire  was  burning  brightly. 

The  room  looked  cheerful,  and  he  felt  perfectly  con- 
tented. 

"  This  is  what  I  call  taking  mine  ease  at  mine  inn,"  he 
cried.  "It  wants  but  a  little  potheen,  me  dear.  Don't 
put  too  much  sugar  in  it,  and  don't  forget  the  lemon-peel." 

"  Ye'll  have  to  make  haste,  Mr.  O'Rafferty,"  replied  the 
widow.  "It's  gone  eleven  by  the  church  clock,  and  it's 
time  for  all  dacent  people  to  be  in  bed." 

Mrs.  O'Leary  would  listen  to  none  of  his  excuses,  so  he 
had  to  retire. 

O'Rafferty  slept  well,  and  in  the  morning  found  that  a 
dog-cart  was  waiting  to  convey  him  to  Oxford. 

Lighting  his  pipe,  he  jumped  in  and  told  the  driver  to 
go  first  to  Mrs.  Travers's,  as  he  wished  to  see  Jack,  and 
thought  they  might  return  to  college  together. 

An  hour's  quick  driving  brought  him  to  Mrs.  Travers's 
house,  where,  to  his  surprise,  Harkaway  had  not  been. 

Both  Mrs.  Travers  and  Emily  were  much  concerned, 
but  supposed  that  Jack  had  got  into  the  Oxford  road  and 
was  at  St.  Aldate's. 

"No  doubt,"  said  Emily,  "you  will  find  him  in  his 
rooms." 

"I  think  so,"  said  O'Rafferty;  "  though  it  wasn't 
friendly  to  leave  me  as  he  did." 

"You  have  told  me  the  story,"  answered  Emily,  with 
a  smile,  "  and  I  do  not  think  you  deserve  much,  consider- 
ation at  his  hands." 

"  Don't  be  too  hard  upon  me,"  said  O'Rafferty  ;  "it  is 
not  often  I  get  half-seas  over." 

"  I  have  only  your  word  for  that." 

"  I'll  promise  to  be  a  good  boy  in  future." 

"That  will  never  happen,  Dennis,"  exclaimed  Mrs. 
Travers.  "  I  have  a  shrewd  suspicion  that  you  were  the 
person  who  spoilt  my  party  by  playing  all  those  tricks." 

"Too  much  the  gentleman,"  replied  O'Rafferty,  with 
a  low  bow. 

"Never  mind;  I  am  of  a  long-suffering  and  forgiving 
disposition,  and  if  you  will  go  to  Oxford,  and  kindly  send 
over  a  messenger  to  relieve  my  dear  Emily's  anxiety 
about  Harkaway,  I  will  not  scold  you." 


124  JACK  HARK  A  WAY  AT  OXFORD. 

"  I'm  off  like  a  shot,"  said  O'Rafferty. 

Jumping  into  the  dog-cart,  he  took  the  reins  and  dashed 
off  at  a  splendid  pace  towards  Oxford. 

"  It's  yerself,  Mr.  O'Rafferty,  who  can  tool  the  tits.  I 
never  seed  such  driving  out  of  ould  Ireland,  where  we 
can  go  over  stone-walls  as  clane  as  a  whistle,"  said  the 
coachman. 

O'Rafferty  looked  at  him  severely. 

"Are  you  an  Irishman  ?"  he  asked. 

"To  the  backbone.     I'm  that  same,  your  honour." 

"Then  you  ought  to  be  ashamed  of  yourself,  you 
rapscallion,  for  not  staying  in  your  own  counthry. 
Wasn't  the  Emerald  Isle  good  enough  for  ye?  Hould 
your  tongue,  and  don't  spake  another  word  unless  you 
want  me  to  upset  the  trap  over  the  first  hedge  and  break 
your  neck." 

"Perhaps  Ireland's  none  the  worse  for  your  own 
absence,  Mr.  O'Rafferty,"  said  the  man,  with  a  grin. 

"  Bedad,  you're  right,"  replied  O'Rafferty;  "you've 
got  the  ready  answer.  I  can  see  you're  a  rale  counthry- 
man,  and  it's  a  drop  of  Irish  whisky  you  shall  have  at  the 
next  pub.  What's  your  name  ?  " 

"Pathrick  O'Rouke,  yer  honour." 

"Well,  Pathrick,  we'll  drink  prosperity  to  ould  Ireland. 
If  the  Saxons  have  taken  our  land,  they've  left  us  our  wit." 

"Thrue  for  you,  your  honour,  and  bekase  why? — it 
was  the  only  thing  the  English  couldn't  steal,  seeing  it 
was  born  in  us." 

O'Rafferty  laughed,  whipped  up  his  horse,  and  in  a 
short  time  reached  Oxford,  where  he  discharged  the 
coachman,  and  hurriedly  made  his  way  to  his  rooms  in 
Magdalen. 


CHAPTER    LXVIII. 

THE  CHIEF  OF  THE  OXFORD  POLICE. 

HAVING  put  on  his  academical  costume,  O'Rafferty 
proceeded  to  Harkaway's  rooms. 

On  the  staircase  he  met  Sir  Sydney  Dawson,  who,  for- 
giving the  joke  the  Irishman  had  played  him,  asked — 

"  What  have  you  done  with  Harkaway  ?  " 


JA  CK  HA  RKAWAY  AT  OXFORD.  125 

"I!  What  do  you  mean?  Is  he  not  at  home  ?"  an- 
swered O'Rafferty. 

"No.  I  hear  that  you  and  he  went  to  a  ball  together 
two  days  ago,  and  he  has  not  been  seen  or  heard  of 
since." 

"I  saw  him  last  in  a  gravel-pit,"  said  O'Rafferty. 
"This  is  serious." 

In  a  few  words  he  related  the  adventure,  which  had 
befallen  them,  and  Sir  Sydney  exclaimed — 

' '  Perhaps  he  has  been  robbed  and  murdered.  I  know 
he  has  enemies." 

"Who  are  they?" 

"One  fellow  is  called  Kemp ;  you  know  him.  The 
other  is  an  old  school-fellow  named  Hunston,  who  has 
turned  out  very  badly.  Harvey  could  tell  you  more 
about  it  than  I,  but  unfortunately  he  is  laid  up." 

"Oh,  yes.  Harvey  is  at  the  Jew's  house  !  I  heard  of 
that.  What  would  you  do  if  you  were  in  my  place  ?  " 

"  I  should  go  to  the  police.  Perhaps  Huiiston  has  met 
Harkaway.  It  is  time  this  man  Hunston  was  tackled 
by  the  authorities ;  there  are  grave  suspicions  about 
him." 

While  they  were  talking  on  the  staircase  Kemp  came  up. 

He  had  bought  a  wig  and  looked  like  himself  again, 
and  though  guessing  that  he  had  been  the  victim  of  a 
trick  at  the  hands  of  O'Rafferty,  it  did  not  appear  to  suit 
him  to  take  any  notice  of  it. 

' '  How  do  ? "  he  exclaimed.  ' '  Seen  any  thing  of  Harka- 
way ?  " 

"No,"  replied  O'Rafferty.  "Perhaps  you  know  more 
about  him  than  I  do.  He  is  missing." 

"  Where  did  you  leave  him  ?  "  asked  Kemp. 

"In  a  pit  where  they  had  been  digging  sand  or  gravel 
or  something." 

Kemp  started. 

A  visible  pallor  spread  itself  all  over  his  face. 

"  Oh  !  "  he  exclaimed,  recovering  himself.  "'He  will 
turn  up  all  right.  He  has  lost  his  way,  that  is  all.  I 
shouldn't  bother  about  him." 

"  On  the  contrary,  I  shall  bother,"  said  O'Rafferty. 

"  In  what  way?  " 

"That's  me  own  business,  me  boy." 

"  Do  you  mean  to  go  to  the  police  !    I  wouldn't  if  I 


126  JACK  HARK  A  WAY  AT  OXFORD. 

were  you.  What  can  they  do  ?  Wait  a  day  or  two, "said 
Kemp,  in  a  persuasive  voice. 

"  I  think  Mr.  Kemp  is  quite  right ;  don't  do  any  thing 
for  a  day  or  two,"  exclaimed  Sir  Sydney. 

At  the  same  time  the  baronet  pressed  the  Irishman's 
elbow  in  a  significant  manner. 

' '  Very  well, "  replied  O'Rafferty,  taking  the  hint.  ' '  We 
will  let  the  matter  rest.  What  do  you  say  to  a  stroll  ?  " 

"Which  has  for  its  object?" 

"Beer,"  said  O'Rafferty,  laughing. 

"'Life  is  not  all  beer  and  skittles,"  as  some  one  ob- 
served ;  but  that  is  no  reason  why  we  shouldn't  imbibe 
malt  liquor  on  an  occasion.  Good-morning,  Mr.  Kemp." 

Sir  Sydney  and  O'Rafferty  walked  away,  and  as  soon 
as  they  were  out  of  earshot  of  Kemp  the  former  said — 

"Let  us  go  straight  to  the  police-station.  I  am  con- 
vinced there  is  some  thing  wrong." 

"Why?" 

"  Did  you  not  see  Kemp  turn  pale  when  you  mentioned 
the  sand-pit  ?  " 

"Yes." 

"And  it  could  not  have  escaped  you  that  he  was  ex- 
tremely anxious  that  we  should  not  say  any  thing  to  the 
police  about  Harka way's  mysterious  disappearance." 

"Be  jabers,  you're  right,"  exclaimed  O'Rafferty.  "  It's 
as  plain  as  the  cave  of  Fingall." 

They  walked  at  once  to  the  police-station,  where  they 
found  Mr.  Manisty,  the  chief  of  Oxford  police. 

He  was  a  very  intelligent  officer  and  received  them 
courteously. 

O'Rafferty  told  his  story,  and  added  that  he  should  not 
have  thought  so  much  of  Harkaway's  absence  had  he 
not  heard  that  he  had  enemies  within  and  without  the 
university. 

"I  am  perfectly  well  aware  of  the  fact,"  answered  the 
chief. 

"Indeed!" 

' '  Oh,  yes.  There  are  few  things  that  happen  in  Oxford 
or  in  the  country  in  which  I  do  not  interest  myself  per- 
sonally." 

"  What  do  you  suspect  ? "  asked  O'Rafferty. 

"That  is  my  business,  sir,"  replied  Manisty.  "Ex- 
cuse my  abruptness,  but  I  have  made  it  a  rule  always  to 


JA  CK  HA  RKA  WAY  AT  OXFORD.  1 2  7 

ask  questions,  and  never  to  answer  them  if  I  can  help  it. 
That  is  my  idea  of  detective  science." 

"  Do  you  know  Hunston  ? "  asked  Sir  Sydney. 

"  I  should  be  very  glad  to  put  my  hand  on  him  at  this 
moment,"  answered  the  chief  of  police.  "I  have  been 
occupied  for  some  time  in  making  a  chain  of  evidence. 
"Whether  it  will  ever  come  to  any  thing  time  will  show ; 
and  now,  sir,  may  I  ask  you  a  question  or  two? " 

"  Fire  away,  me  boy,"  answered  O'Rafferty. 

"When  you  were  near  the  sand-pi't,  the  locality  of 
which  I  fancy  I  know  pretty  well,  did  you  remark  any 
thing?  " 

"Yes." 

"What  was  it?" 

"  Harkaway  said  he  saw  a  lantern  moving  about  in 
the  pit.  By  Jove  !  I  had  nearly  forgotten  that." 

"  He  saw  a  lantern  I  "  said  Manisty.  "That  is  quite 
enough  for  me,  sir." 

"What  do  you  mean  ?  " 

"  Simply,  that  I  will  give  you  some  news  of  Mr.  Harka- 
way before  this  time  to-morrow  ;  but  whether  he  is  dead 
or  alive  depends  upon  the  mercy  of  Providence." 

"You  alarm  me,"  replied  O'Rafferty. 

"  I  don't  mind  breaking  through  my  rule  of  silence  for 
once,"  continued  the  chief  of  police,  "because  you  and 
Sir  Sydney  Dawson  are  friends  of  Mr.  Harkaway,  who  is 
a  gentleman  the  university  is  properly  proud  of." 

"Well?  "  said  Sir  Sydney,  anxiously. 

"  Hunston  is,  as  I  suspect,  the  captain  of  a  gang  of 
robbers,  who  are  called  the  Black  Band.  All  this  winter 
they  have  been  the  terror  of  the  country,  breaking  into 
houses  and  robbing  travellers  along  the  roads." 

"  Is  such  a  thing  possible  ?  " 

"It  is  a  fact,  and  has  cast  a  serious  reproach  on  the 
Oxford  police ;  but  so  clever  is  this  man  Hunston,  that 
we  have  not  been  able  to  capture  the  band,  or  find  out 
where  they  hide." 

"Are  you  any  nearer  a  discovery  than  you  were  be- 
fore ?  " 

"Certainly  I  am." 

"  What  has  given  you  a  clue  ?  " 

"In  the  first  place,  Mr.  Harkaway's  disappearance  led 
me  to  suspect  that  Hunston  rtad  a  hand  in  it,  and  your 


128  JACK  HARK  A IV A  Y  AT  OXFORD. 

remark  about  a  lantern  in  the  sand-pit,  induces  me  to 
think  that  I  can  find  the  robbers'  haunt." 

"  In  the  sand-pit?  "  said  O'Rafferty. 

"Exactly.  I  have  played  in  that  sand-pit  when  a  boy, 
and  its  walls  are  full  of  very  remarkable  caves,"  replied 
Manisty.  "How  I  did  not  think  of  it  before,  I  cannot 
imagine.  Leave  it  all  to  me,  gentlemen,  and  I  will  do 
my  best." 

"Will  it  not  be  dangerous  to  attack  the  robbers  in  their 
den  ?  "  asked  Sir  Sydney  Dawson. 

"We  shall  go  in  force,  and  well  armed." 

"Will  you  do  me  a  favour? " 

"Name  it,  sir,  and,  if  it  is  in  my  power,  I  will  gladly 
do  so,"  answered  the  chief  of  the  police,  politely. 

"Allow  me  to  accompany  you.  I  am  not  afraid  of 
fighting  the  ruffians,  and  I  have  such  a  regard  for  Harka- 
way  that  I  should  like  to  join  in  the  hunt." 

"By  the  powers  !  "  exclaimed  O'Rafferty,  "ye  mustn't 
leave  me  out." 

"Gentlemen,"  said  the  chief,  "I  am  very  sorry  indeed  to 
be  obliged  to  refuse  your  request,  but  I  cannot  grant  it" 

"Why  not?" 

"Because  I  should  be  held  responsible  for  your  lives, 
and  public  opinion  would  say  that  I  was  not  justified  in 
exposing  you  to  risk.  These  men  are  armed,  and  are 
such  desperate  villains,  from  all  accounts,  that  they  will 
fight  to  the  last  for  their  lives  and  liberty." 

"Well,"  replied  Sir  Sydney,  rising,  "I  suppose  you 
know  best.  Good-afternoon,  Mr.  Manisty  ;  many  thanks 
for  your  obliging  behaviour." 

"I  am  only  doing  my  duty,  sir,"  replied  the  chief  of 
the  police,  politely  opening  the  door  for  his  visitors  to 
depart. 

Both  O'Rafferty  and  Dawson  were  well  satisfied  with 
the  result  of  their  interview,  and  returned  to  college,  hop- 
ing that  they  had  done  all  that  they  could  for  Harkaway's 
benefit. 

That  evening,  after  hall,  Kemp  left  St.  Aldate's,  and 
taking  the  Iffley  Road,  walked  at  a  quick  pace  into  the 
country. 

He  appeared  to  try  and  escape  observation,  and  was 
hurried  and  nervous  in  his  manner. 


I&CK  HARKA WAY  AT  OXFORD.  i2Q 

CHAPTER  LXIX. 

KEMP   AND    HUNSTON. 

WHEN  Kemp  left  Oxford,  he  cut  across  the  country  by 
j,dths  with  which  he  was  evidently  familiar. 

Before  evening  fell,  he  reached  the  old  sand-pit. 

Descending  its  rugged  sides,  he  came  to  the  entrance 
to  the  cave,  where  a  sentinel  ought  to  have  been  posted, 
but  no  one  was  about. 

Sounds  of  revelry  came  from  the  interior,  and  a  man's 
voice  was  heard  singing  a  wine  song. 

"  Let  the  goblet  pass, 
And  we'll  drink  another  glass, 
To  the  maids  of  merry,  merry  England." 

Kemp  passed  boldly  along  the  passage  and  entered 
the  common  apartment,  where  the  band  were  enjoying 
themselves. 

One  was  singing,  others  playing  at  cards,  another 
working  in  a  corner  with  a  pile  of  bricks,  a  trowel,  and 
some  mortar,  while  Hunston  sat  alone  on  the  top  of  a 
cask,  smoking  a  short  pipe,  and  gave  himself  up  to  reflec- 
tion. 

On  the  entrance  of  the  intruder  the  men  sprang  up  with 
fierce  oaths,  and  several  revolvers  were  levelled  at  his 
head. 

"  Fools  !  "  said  Kemp,  "  don't  you  know  me?  " 

The  pistols  were  as  quickly  lowered  as  they  had  been 
raised. 

"  A  nice  watch  you  keep,  and  a  jolly  row  you  kick  up 
to  attract  notice  from  the  outside,"  replied  Kemp. 

' '  The  beggars  are  getting  careless, "  cried  Hunston. 
"  Here,  you  fellow,  you  Laugh-at-Death,  go  and  keep 
guard. " 

A  tall,  thick-set,  hang-dog-looking  man,  who  had  ac- 
quired this  nickname  through  his  reckless  courage,  sullenly 
quitted  the  card- party,  and  shouldering  a  rifle  went  to  the 
door. 

"So  you  have  got  Harkaway  here?"  Kemp  went  OK, 
9 


«3°  JA  CK  HARK  A  WAY  AT  OXFORD. 

"  How  the  deuce  do  you  know  ?  "  asked  Hunston. 

"His  disappearance  is  pretty  well  known  in  Oxford  by 
this  time,  thanks  to  the  meddling  of  Sir  Sydney  Dawson 
and  a  new  acquaintance  of  his  called  O'Rafferty." 

"  Do  they  suspect  any  thing?  " 

"That's  just  what  I  came  to  warn  you  about.  They 
have  been  to  the  superintendent  of  the  police,"  replied 
Kemp. 

"Manisty?" 

"That's  the  man,  and  I  fancy  he  has  his  suspicions. 
O'Rafferty  was  with  him  yesterday  when  you  collared 
him,  and  he  missed  him  just  hereabouts." 

"Oh,"  said  Hunston,  anxiously  ;  "so  you  think  Man- 
isty has  some  clue  to  the  cave?  " 

"I  do  ;  and  you  ought  to  lose  no  time  in  clearing  out 
What  have  you  done  with  Harkaway  ?  " 

"He  is  saying  his  prayers  inside  there,"  answered 
Hunston,  carelessly  pointing  to  his  dungeon. 

"What  is  that  man  doing  ?  " 

"Bricking  him  up  :  that's  all." 

"Eh?" 

Kemp  did  not  quite  catch  his  meaning. 

"You  know  I  hate  the  fellow  so  infernally  that  I  in- 
vented  a  death  for  him — something  slow  and  lingering. 
Shooting  or  knocking  on  the  head  was  too  good  for  him, 
so  I  thought  of  the  dodge  they  used  to  have  in  convents 
with  refractory  monks  or  nuns,  and  I  am  having  him  shut 
in  the  inside  dungeon  by  means  of  a  brick  wall." 

"It  is  not  safe.  Why  not  kill  him  out  of  the  way  when 
you  have  the  chance  ? " 

"  Isn't  it  safe  ?  I'll  bet  you  a  sovereign  it's  the  safest 
thing  out.  Suppose  the  police  come  here.  Will  they  ever 
find  him?  Not  they  ;  and  see  how  he'll  suffer." 

"There  is  something  in  that,"  answered  Kemp,  walk- 
ing towards  the  man  who  was  at  work. 

"What's  your  game  now?"  asked  Hunston. 

"I  want  to  have  a  look  at  him,  that's  all.  It  will  do 
me  good  just  to  insult  him.** 

Harkaway  was  lying  huddled  up  in  a  corner,  and  there 
was  a  hole  left  in  the  newly-made  wall,  which  just  enabled 
his  enemy  to  peep  in  at  him. 

"  How  do  you  find  yourself,  my  pippin  ?  "  Kemp  was 
coward  enough  to  say,  in  a  coarse  manner. 


JA  CK  HARK  A  WAY  AT  OXFORD.  1 3  i 

The  sight  of  Kemp  revived  Jack's  drooping  energies  for 
a  moment. 

"  I  wouldn't  change  places  with  you,"  he  answered. 

"You  wouldn't?  Then  you'd  be  a  flat.  If  you  had 
the  chance,  why  wouldn't  you  ?  " 

"Because  I'm  not  a  cowardly,  lying,  sneaking  thief," 
replied  Jack  boldly,  "and  even  in  this  fix,  I  can  look  back 
upon  my  past  life  with  more  satisfaction  than  you  ever 
will  be  able  to  do." 

"That's  all  kid,"  said  Kemp,  a  little  abashed. 

"  Is  it  kid  ? "  cried  Jack.  "  Wait  till  you  know  you've 
got  to  die,  and  see  if  you'll  be  as  brave  as  I  am.  I've 
got  a  clear  conscience,  and  can  die  without  funking,  while 
you  would  be  howling  and  begging  for  mercy." 

"You've  got  a  pretty  good  cheek  for  a  man  in  your 
position,"  replied  Kemp.  "But  I  believe  it  is  put  on  ; 
you  will  be  hungry  and  thirsty,  and  want  a  little  air,  as 
soon  as  the  last  brick  is  put  in.  How  will  you  feel  then  ? " 

"There  is  something  after  death,"  answered  Jack, 
solemnly,  "  and  I  do  not  fear  that  I  shall  go  where  your 
evil  actions  will  take  you.  But  don't  talk  to  me  ;  go  to 
your  friend  Hunston  ;  you're  a  nice  pair.  I  am  in  your 
power,  yet  you  can  not  make  me  talk  to  you." 

"Die,  you  brute!"  returned  Kemp,  callously,  as  he 
turned  away  and  made  a  sign  to  the  man  to  finish  his 
work. 

There  were  only  a  few  more  bricks  to  be  placed  one  on 
the  top  of  the  other,  and  then  Jack  was  hidden  from  the 
world  perhaps  for  ever. 

In  days  to  come,  his  mouldering  bones  or  ghastly 
skeleton  might  be  discovered,  and  serve  for  the  occasion 
of  a  lecture  for  some  learned  antiquary,  who  would  make 
a  guess  as  to  what  "era"  he  belonged  to. 

Hunston  and  Kemp  watched  the  completion  of  the 
horrible  work  in  silence. 

At  last  the  man  threw  down  the  trowel,  and  exclaimed — 

"Last  brick's  in,  sir." 

"That's  all  right.  Go  and  have  a  drink,"  answered 
Hunston  ;  "  what's  your  lotion.  There  are  all  sorts  ; 
help  yourself." 

"  Thank  you,  captain,"  replied  the  man,  joining  his 
companions. 

Turning  to  Kemp,  Hunston  said — 


132  JACK  HARKA  WAY  AT  OXFORD. 

"You  don't  know  what  a  satisfaction  that  is  to  me." 

"Yes,  I  do,  for  I  believe  I  hate  the  fellow  as  much  as 
you  do,"  answered  Kemp. 

"  You  can't.  You  haven't  known  him  so  long  as  I  have, 
and  he  hasn't  done  so  much  to  you  as  he  has  to  me. 
Some  people  would  say  it  was  my  own  fault  and  I  deserved 
it.  All  rot ;  look  at  my  one  arm  ;  did  I  deserve  to  lose 
the  other  one  ?  Look  at  my  ruined  career." 

"  I  shall  get  the  insurance  on  his  life.  I  made  him 
insure  in  my  favour,  you  know,"  remarked  Kemp. 

"How  can  you  prove  his  death?  " 

"They  will  have  to  pay  if  he  can't  be  found,  won't 
they  ? " 

"  Query  !  I'm  not  so  sure  about  that,"  replied  Hun- 
ston.  "  However,  if  you  get  nothing,  you  will  have  the 
satisfaction  of  knowing  he  is  out  of  the  way. " 

"  Yes,  but  there  is  little  Emily  who  won't  be  glad."" 

"  That's  true  too,  because  she  won't  have  me  for  a 
husband,  and  I  have  no  chance  there  now,  for  I  shall  get 
away  from  Oxford  to-morrow,"  replied  Hunston. 

"  Do  you  mean  to  go  to  London  ?  " 

"  I  think  so.  Now  you  say  Manisty  is  on  the  scent,  it 
is  time  to  turn  this  life  up.  I  don't  want  penal  servitude." 

"They  couldn't  make  you  pick  oakum  or  turn  the 
crank,  because  you've  only  one  arm,  "replied  Kemp,  with 
a  laugh. 

"  I've  two  legs,  though,  and  the  treadmill  is  an  exer- 
cise I  have  no  great  longing  lor." 

"  Well,  I'll  join  you  in  London  when  the  term's  over. 
We  both  have  a  little  money  by  us  ;  and  we  will  start  in 
some  line  or  other,"  said  Kemp. 

"  Shan't  you  take  a  degree?  " 

"Not  I.  I  have  never  been  a  reading  man.  No  one 
likes  me  at  the  university  ;  all  fight  shy  of  me,  and  I  shall 
cut  it.  The  turf  is  my  game.  I  can  make  money  at  that." 

"Well,"  said  Hunston,  "we  got  a  tidy  pile  out  of  the 
bank  robbery.  By  the  way,  how  do  you  get  on  with  the 
porter  ? " 

"He  keeps  worrying  me  for  money,  and  threatens  he 
will  split  if  I  don't  part,  hang  him." 

"  Does  he  want  much  ? " 

"No  ;  only  quids  ;  but  he's  always  at  it  He  had  five 
pounds  last  week." 


JA  CK  HARK  A  WAY  AT  OXFORD.  1 33 

"Keep  him  in  tow  till  you  leave.  It  won't  do  to  be 
shown  up,"  answered  Hunston.  "  Of  course  he's  no  use 
now,  because  your  idea  was  to  accuse  Harkaway  of  the 
robbery." 

' '  Exactly  ;  and  get  him  committed  for  trial  on  the  por- 
ter's evidence  and  some  circumstantial  proof." 

"I  understand.  It  was  not  a  bad  plan,  though  it  is 
useless  since  we  have  trapped  our  fox  and  settled  him  out 
of  the  way.  Have  some  thing  to  drink?  " 

"No,  I'm  off;  and  if  you'll  take  my  advice,  you  will 
disband  your  gang  and  step  it  at  once." 

"Not  I,"  said  Hunston  ;  "I  mean  to  have  a  spree  to- 
night, and  get  blind  drunk.  To-morrow  afternoon  we  will 
clear  out,  and  you  shall  have  a  line  from  me  when  I  am 
in  London.  Stop  and  make  a  night  of  it.  Let  the  bottle 
pass  ;  and  we'll  drink  another  glass  to " 

"No,  no,"  interrupted  Kemp.  "I'm  off,  I  tell  vou. 
There  is  nothing  more  to  talk  about.  Remember  I  have 
warned  you,  and  if  any  thing  happens,  it  is  your  fault" 

"Who's  afraid?"  replied  Hunston,  drinking  a  tumbler 
full  of  spirits  and  water. 

"It  is  useful  to  be  afraid  sometimes.  I  don't  believe  in 
your  dare-devil  sort  of  courage." 

"Because  you  never  had  any,"  remarked  Hunston,  re- 
filling his  pipe. 

"  If  you  are  going  to  be  nasty,  the  sooner  I  go  the 
better,"  said  Kemp,  rising. 

"  I'm  all  right.     Sit  down,  I  tell  you." 

' '  Oh,  I  know  you, "  said  Kemp.  ' '  When  you  get  in  one 
of  your  obstinate,  disagreeable  moods,  I'd  as-  soon  stop 
with  Old  Nick  himself  as  you." 

"I  believe  I'm  a  sort  of  relation  of  the  gentleman's," 
replied  Hunston,  whose  sallow,  gaunt  face  lighted  up  with 
the  ghost  of  a  smile. 

"  You  will  join  him  some  of  these  fine  days.  He's  got 
a  tight  hold  on  you,"  said  Kemp. 

"There  is  one  comfort, — you'll  be  there  too." 

-"Don't  talk  about  such  things.  I've  got  to  walk  home 
in  the  dark,  through  a  lonely  country,  and  I  shall  see 
devils  black  and  devils  blue  in  every  hedge.  Shut  up." 

' '  Have  some  brandy.  It  will  steady  your  nerves, "  said 
Hunston.  "Do,  there's  a  good  fellow.  It  will  put  you 
as  right  as  ninepence.  Join  me.  I'm  bound  to  get  drunk 


134  JA  CK  HA  RKA  WAY  AT  OXFORD. 

to-night ;  I'm  so  thundering  pleased  to  have  settled  Jack 
Harkaway  at  last." 

"I'm  not  in  the  drinking  humour,  thank  you  all  the 
same.  Good-night,"  replied  Kemp. 

"Well,  if  you  will  be  an  unsociable  beast,  there  is  no 
help  for  it.  Bye-bye." 

Kemp  shook  his  head,  nodded  to  the  men,  went  along 
the  corridor,  gave  Laugh-at-Death  a  cigar  from  his  case, 
and  urged  him  to  keep  a  good  look-out. 

Then  he  began  to  walk  rapidly  back  to  Oxford. 

Before  Kemp  had  gone  far,  he  stopped  and  took  out  his 
pipe,  and  rilled  it  with  tobacco,  and  struck  a  light. 

The  wind  was  rather  high  and  blew  his  light  out. 

In  order  to  protect  the  match,  he  went  behind  a  tree. 

Suddenly,  just  as  he  had  succeeded  in  making  the  to- 
bacco burn,  he  heard  footsteps. 

Naturally  cautious,  Kemp  did  not  move. 

"This  is  the  way,  I  think,"  exclaimed  a  voice. 

"  Yes,"  replied  another,  "  a  little  farther  on  to  the  right 
lies  the  old  sand-pit." 

"Step  along  gently;  we  have  wary  birds  to  deal  with, 
and  the  slightest  noise  will  make  them  take  wing,"  said 
the  first  speaker. 

"The  police,  by  Jove!"  remarked  Kemp  to  himself; 
"and  a  strong  body  of  them  too.  I  know  Manisty's  voice." 

He  reflected  a  moment. 

Then  he  added,  as  the  men,  of  whom  he  counted  twelve, 
passed  by  him. 

"What  shall  I  do  ?  I  don't  like  to  let  Hunston  and  his 
pals  be  caught  like  rats  in  a  trap.  Can  I  get  by  and  warn 
them  ?  " 

He  determined  to  try. 

Getting  through  a  gap  in  the  hedge,  he  ran  as  fast  as  he 
could,  and  managed  to  head  the  Oxford  police,  who  did 
not  hurry  but  went  along  slowly  and  surely. 

Once  ahead  of  them  Kemp  found  no  difficulty  in  gain- 
ing the  sand-pit. 

He  descended  the  side  with  the  dexterity  acquired  by 
practice,  for  he  had  been  in  constant  communication  with 
Hunston  ever  since  he  had  taken  up  his  abode  in  this  sin- 
gular place  with  the  desperate  gang  of  ruffians  of  whom  he 
was  the  captain. 

Laugh-at-Death  challenged  him. 


JA  CK  HARK  A  WA  Y  AT  OXFORD.  1 35 

' '  Who  goes  there  ?  " 
"Friend,"  answered  Kemp. 

"Pass,  friend,  and  all's  well,"  replied  Laugh-at-Death, 
in  true  military  fashion. 

"Be  careful,"  said  Kemp  ;  "the  Oxford  police  will  be 
here  in  ten  minutes. " 

"  If  they  come  in  here,  they  are  clever,"  replied  Laugh- 
at-Death. 

"Look  out,  that's  all.  You  shall  have  your  instruc- 
tions directly." 

Kemp,  saying-  this,  hurried  into  the  cave  and  found 
Hunston,  more  than  half  drunk,  joining  in  the  chorus  of 
a  song. 

"  Come,  landlord,  fill  the  flowing  bowl, 

Until  it  does  run  over, 
For  to-night  we'll  merry  be, 
For  to-night  we'll  merry  be, 

To-morrow  we'll  be  sober," 
he  roared  out. 

Seeing  Kemp,  he  exclaimed — 

"Hallo,  my  beauty.  Come  back,  have  you?  That's 
right ;  I  knew  you'd  think  better  of  it.  Join  in  the  chorus ; 
a  song's  nothing  without  the  coal-box — chorus  I  mean. 

" '  Come,  landlord,  fill  the  flowing  bowl, 
Until  it ' " 

"  Are  you  mad  ?  "  interrupted  Kemp. 

"Why?" 

"The  Oxford  police  are  upon  you." 

Instantly  there  was  a  dead  silence. 

Every  man  sprang  to  his  feet  and  grasped  the  nearest 
weapon,  while  the  faces  of  all  turned  pale  with  the  anx- 
iety and  apprehension  they  could  not  conceal. 

"The  police,  do  you  say?"  demanded  Hunston,  chok- 
ing back  a  hiccup. 

"Yes." 

"  Is  Manisty  with  them?" 

"He  is.  I  met  them  on  the  road,  and  turned  back  to 
warn  you." 

In  a  moment  Hunston  was  cool  and  collected. 

His  drunkenness  might  have  been  assumed,  but  it 
passed  off. 

"Tell  Laugh-at-Death,"  he  exclaimed,  "to  shoot  the 
first  man  who  shows  his  face  near  the  cave's  mouth." 


136  JA  CK  HARK  A  WAY  AT  OXFORD. 

A  man  went  away  to  deliver  the  order. 

"  Well,  I'm  off,"  said  Kemp.  "I've  done  all  I  can  for 
you.  Good-bye,  perhaps  for  ever." 

"  Don't  leave  me  in  the  lurch,"  replied  Hunston. 

"  My  escape  will  be  cut  off  directly." 

"No,  it  won't.     Come  here,"  Hunston  continued. 

Lowering  his  voice,  he  added — 

"  The  men  will  fight  better  if  you  stop.  I  want  them 
to  get  killed  ;  I  shall  be  best  without  them, because  if  they 
are  dead,  they  can't  split,  can  they?" 

' '  How  are  we  to  get  out  of  it  ?  "  asked  Kemp. 

"  I  have  a  private  staircase — it  is  a  secret  to  all  of  them 
— that  leads  out  to  the  top  of  the  pit ;  you  and  I  can  make 
our  way  out  by  it,  when  it  gets  too  hot" 

Kemp  hesitated. 

It  is  an  old  saying,  that  a  man  or  woman  who  hesitates 
is  lost. 

If  he  had  gone  away  without  any  further  talking,  he 
would  have  been  safe. 

But  a  shot  was  heard. 

This  was  followed  by  another  and  another. 

"  Laugh-at-Death  is  at  work,"  replied  Hunston.  "Keep 
near  me." 

He  retreated  to  the  end  of  the  cave,  and  Kemp  followed 
him. 

Suddenly  Laugh-at-Death  ran  into  the  cavern. 

"  How  many  are  there  of  them  ?  "  asked  Hunston. 

"A  dozen  or  more,"  replied  Laugh-at-Death.  "I've 
settled  one  or  two,  but  it's  getting  too  warm,  when  you 
have  to  stand  before  an  army." 

More  shots  were  heard,  and  a  fight  went  on  in  the 
corridor,  wherein  the  band  made  a  strong  defence. 

The  robbers,  however,  were  afraid  of  the  police, 
and  fired  their  revolvers  at  random,  doing  little  or  no 
harm. 

One  by  one,  they  came  running  into  the  cave,  looking 
frightened  and  demoralized. 

"  The  game  is  up,"  answered  Hunston. 

"What  will  you  do  ? "  asked  Kemp. 

"Leave  them  to  their  fate,"  answered  Hunston. 
"What  do  I  care  for  them  ?  I  only  made  use  of  them." 

" But  your  treasure — your  gold?  " 

"I  have  transmitted  it  all  to  London,  where  it  is  in  a 


JA CK  HA RKA  IV A  Y  AT  OXFORD.  1 3 7 

bank.  Deposited  in  a  false  name.  Still  I  can  get  it 
when  I  like. " 

"That  is  just  what  I  have  done,"  said  Kemp.  "Shall 
you  go  to  London  ?  " 

"At  once." 

' '  I  have  a  good  mind  to  accompany  you.  My  university 
career  -is  over  if  any  of  your  men  are  captured  and  blow 
the  gaff  on  me." 

A  shot  whizzed  pass  Kemp's  head  as  he  was  speaking. 

The  police  had  forced  the  passage,  and  the  robbers 
were  retreating  on  all  sides  before  them. 

"  I'll  give  them  a  parting  compliment,"  replied  Hun- 
ston,  levelling  his  pistol 

He  fired,  and  a  policeman  fell. 

Again  and  again,  he  fired,  not  without  success. 

Shots  echoed  and  re-echoed  through  the  old  cavern. 

Laugh-at-Death  fought  bravely  and  made  a  firm  stand 
in  the  centre  of  the  cave  with  four  men,  who  were  all  that 
remained  out  of  the  band. 

"This  way,"  whispered  Hunston  to  Kemp. 

Darting  down  a  small  passage,  so  narrow  that  only  one 
could  go  along  it  at  a  time,  and  so  low  that  he  was 
oblige  to  stoop  for  fear  of  knocking  his  head  against  the 
unequal  roof.  Hunston  ran  on  as  quickly  as  the  difficult 
nature  of  the  primeval  sandstone  would  allow  him. 

A  flight  of  steps,  roughly  hewn  in  the  rock,  were 
revealed  by  the  aid  of  a  thin  light  filtering  down  from  the 
moon's  rays  above. 

Quickly  ascending  this,  they  found  themselves  free. 

"Good-bye,"  said  Hunston  ;  "we  must  not  keep  to- 
gether. " 

"I  think  not;  we've  more  chance  alone,"  replied 
Kemp. 

"What  shall  you  do?  " 

"  Go  back  to  Oxford  to-night." 

"  Can  you  meet  me  in  London  this  day  week  ?  " 

"Yes,  I  will  run  up  on  purpose;  where  shall  I  find 
you  ? " 

"At  the  Wheatsheaf  Hotel  in  Holborn.  Not  a  word  to 
a  soul;  good-bye  again.  I  wish  you  luck,"  replied 
Hunston. 

The  villains  separated  after  shaking  hands,  and  each 
took  a  different  direction. 


138  JACK  HA  RKA  WAY  AT  OXFORD. 

Meanwhile,  the  attack  of  the  police  on  the  cave  had 
been  successful. 

Two  of  the  robbers  were  lying  badly  wounded  on 
the  floor,  and  three  constables  were  in  the  same  condi- 
tion. 

Fortunately,  none  of  the  wounds  were  fatal,  though  this 
was  not  ascertained  until  afterwards. 

"Surrender,"  exclaimed  Manisty,  with  his  pistol  cocked. 

"Never,"  replied  Laugh-at-Death.  "Fire  away,  my 
tulip  ;  hit  'em  up,  they're  all  cocks." 

Manisty  fired. 

Laugh-at-Death  ducked  his  head,  and  dashing  past  the 
superintendent,  made  for  the  entrance  of  the  cave. 

Here  he  was  tripped  up  by  a  policeman  and  secured, 
being  brought  back,  sullen  and  downcast,  carefully  hand- 
cuffed and  guarded. 

"Mates,"  he  exclaimed,  "on'tder  abbler.  Eepker  ark- 
der  the  oveker  in  the  aultver. 

Manisty 's  quick  ears  caught  the  sentence. 

"  What  can  he  mean  ?  " 

He  was  puzzled. 


CHAPTER  LXX. 

A   TIMELY    RESCUE. 

AFTER  a  moment's  reflection,  Manisty  told  off  the  men 
to  take  the  prisoners  to  the  gaol  at  Oxford. 

One  he  sent  fora  surgeon  to  attend  to  the  wounded, 
whose  hurts  he  himself  bandaged  up  as  well  as  he  could 
with  such  materials  as  were  at  hand. 

An  hour  elapsed  before  the  doctor  arrived. 

During  this  time,  Manisty  was  occupied  in  writing  a 
short  account  for  the  local  papers,  of  the  capture  of  the 
robbers'  stronghold. 

It  ran  thus — 

"CAPTURE  OF  THE  BLACK  BAND. — Last  night,  Super- 
intendent Manisty,  of  the  Oxford  constabulary,  acting 
upon  information  he  had  received,  proceeded  with  a 
picked  body  of  man,  to  an  old  sand-pit  on  Mr.  Beal's 
estate. 

"In  a  cavern  formed  in  the  stone,  he  found,  as  he  had 


JA  CK  II ARK  A  IV A  Y  AT  OXFORD.  139 

expected,  the  members  of  a  desperate  gang  of  robbers 
known  as  the  Black  Band.  They  have  committed  numer- 
ous robberies  in  the  city  of  Oxford,  and  in  gentlemen's 
houses  in  the  country.  Even  the  crime  of  murder  is 
suspected  to  have  been  committed  by  them.  A  san- 
guinary conflict  took  place  between  the  police  and  the 
thieves,  which  resulted  in  the  defeat  of  the  latter.  Some 
severe  wounds  were  inflicted  by  pistol-shots  on  both 
sides,  but  as  yet  no  fatal  case  is  reported.  It  is  to  be  re- 
gretted that  the  captain  of  these  miscreants  has  escaped. 
He  is  a  one-armed  man,  and  his  name  is  supposed  to  be 
Hunston.  Probably  a  reward  will  be  offered  for  his  ap- 
prehension, though  the  police  believe  they  have  a  clue  to 
his  whereabouts.  We  will  give  further  particulars  in  our 
next  issue." 

Having  finished  his  brief  account  of  the  tragic  affair, 
and  modestly  refraining  from  praising  himself  or  his  men 
for  their  valiant  conduct,  he  again  took  up  his  pen. 

He  was  writing  on  the  top  of  the  cask,  on  which  Hun- 
ston had  so  lately  been  sitting,  singing  a  Bacchanalian 
ditty. 

Pen,  ink,  and  paper  he  always  carried  with  him  in  a 
portable  case,  so  as  to  be  ready  for  emergencies. 

This  time  he  headed  his  notes — 

"THE  DISAPPEARANCE  OF  MR.  HARKAWAY,  OF  ST. 
ALPATE'S. — We  ought  to  inform  our  readers  that  at  pres- 
ent nothing  has  been  heard  of  Mr.  Harkaway,  though 
we  are  assured  by  Mr.  Superintendent  Manisty,  that  the 
missing  gentleman  is  very  likely  to  be  found  in  a  few 
hours. " 

These  slips  he  sent  off  by  a  messenger  to  the  Oxford 
Times  office,  so  that  the  news  might  appear  in  the  morn- 
ing edition,  which  went  on  the  machine  at  twelve  o'clock 
that  night. 

When  the  doctor  had  dressed  the  wounds  of  the  injured 
men,  they  were  transported  on  hurdles,  rudely  torn  up 
from  a  sheep-pen,  to  the  nearest  farm-house,  where  the 
medical  man  remained  in  attendance  upon  them  all 
night. 

It  is  remarkable,  as  an  instance  ofthehard-heartedness 
of  habitual  thieves,  that  not  one  of  them  said  a  word 
about  Harkaway,  who  they  all  knew  was  left  to  die  in 
the  vault 


140  JACK  HARKA  WAY  AT  OXFORD. 

Their  idea  of  honour  would  not  allow  them  to  "split," 
and  as  for  the  prisoner  himself,  they  did  not  care  a 
rush  whether  he  lived  or  died. 

When  Manisty  had  attended  to  every  thing  that  his  duty 
required,  he  dismissed  all  his  men  save  one. 

This  man  was  named  Thompson,  and  he  was  the  most 
intelligent  man  in  the  force. 

"I  suppose,"  said  Manisty,  carelessly,  "we  may  as 
well  get  home." 

' '  No,  sir, "  replied  Thompson.  ' '  If  you  will  allow  me, 
I  will  stay  behind." 

"What  for?" 

"We  have  not  searched  the  cave  yet  There  may  be 
money  there,  and " 

He  hesitated. 

"  Well,"  said  Manisty,  with  a  searching  glance. 

"  I  keep  my  ears  open,  sir,  and  have  heard  of  Mr. 
Harkaway's  disappearance.  This  Hunston,  who  is  the 
captain  of  the  band  we  have  just  put  a  settler  on,  is  re- 
ported to  be  Mr.  Harkaway's  enemy." 

"What  then?" 

"  We  may  discover  him  or  his  body." 

Manisty  shook  Thompson  by  the  hand. 

"You  have  guessed  my  thoughts  exactly,"  he  said; 
"  they  were  running  in  the  same  direction.  I  selected 
you  to  remain  with  me  because  I  know  your  worth,  and  I 
asked  you  questions  just  to  try  you.  Come  along  ;  we 
will  go  back  to  the  cave  together." 

"  If  we  find  Mr.  Harkaway,  sir,"  said  Thompson,  "  we 
shall  have  done  a  good  night's  work." 

It  did  not  take  them  long  to  regain  the  cave,  in  which 
the  lamps  used  by  the  robbers  were  still  burning. 

They  commenced  a  minute  inspection  of  the  interior. 

Their  diligent  search  resulted  in  finding  a  quantity  of 
plate,  jewellery,  and  gold  which  had  fallen  to  the  robbers' 
share,  and  which  not  being  so  clever  as  their  captain, 
Hunston,  they  did  not  know  how  to  dispose  of. 

The  thieves  had  resorted  to  the  old  device  of  hiding 
their  plunder  in  holes  in  the  rock. 

When  the  policemen  had  completed  their  search,  they 
sat  down  and  regaled  themselves  with  some  ham,  bread, 
and  wine,  which  they  found  in  a  barrel 

This  had  served  the  robbers  aa  a  Sasdet. 


JA CK  HARKA WAY  AT  OXFORD.  141 

The  secret  passage  was  explored,  but  led  to  no  new 
discovery. 

"  That's  how  Hunston  escaped,"  remarked  Manisty. 

"  No  doubt,"  said  Thompson. 

"  If  we  could  only  have  collared  him,  what  a  prize  he 
would  have  been  !  " 

"  I  believe  he  murdered  the  Jew,  Manasses,  and  robbed 
his  house." 

"So  do  I." 

All  at  once  a  deep  groan  was  heard. 

"What  is  that?"  asked  Manisty,  looking  round  him 
uneasily. 

"  Sounds  like  a  human  being,"  answered  Thompson. 

"  Mr.  Harkaway,  for  a  million,"  cried  Manisty.  "  Lis- 
ten again.  Be  careful. " 

They  waited  five  minutes,  but  the  noise  was  not  re- 
peated. 

"  It  came  from  this  direction,"  said  Thompson,  going 
to  the  extremity  of  the  cave. 

Manisty  followed  him. 

"  Look  here,"  exclaimed  the  superintendent,  "  the 
mortar  is  freshly  laid.  Do  you  see  these  bricks.  There 
is  some  thing  inside.  This  is  the  work  of  men's  hands." 

"  Right,  sir,"  replied  Thompson.  "  I  wish  I  had  a 
crowbar. " 

"  Use  your  feet.  Let's  batter  this  wall  down.  Go 
back,  take  a  run,  and  at  it  hard  with  your  right  foot.  I'm 
with  you.  So  !  " 

They  retreated,  and  charged  the  wall. 

Their  first  effort  was  unsuccessful. 

So  was  the  second. 

But  the  third  made  a  breach  in  the  newly-erected  wall, 
and  a  heap  of  bricks  fell  inside. 

"  Bring  a  lamp — quick  !  "  exclaimed  the  superintendent. 

Thompson  was  not  slow  in  obeying  this  order. 

The  light  flashed  in  through  the  aperture. 

They  beheld  Jack,  lying  huddled  up  in  a  corner,  ex- 
hausted from  want  of  air,  and  fatigued  by  thirst  and 
hunger. 

"  There  he  is,"  exclaimed  Thompson.  "  Hurrah  ! 
we've  found  him." 

"  Get  some  water;  there  is  some  in  that  black  jug," 
replied  Manisty. 


142  JA  CK  HARKA  WAY  AT  OXFORD. 

' '  Fancy  the  blackguards  treating  a  gentleman  like  that," 
muttered  Thompson,  as  he  fetched  the  water. 

"  They  are  like  all  thieves — rank  cowards,"  answered 
Manisty. 

A  few  more  kicks  rendered  the  breach  practicable,  and 
the  two  men  entered  the  vault. 

"  I  guessed  as  much,"  said  Thompson,  "  when  I  heard 
that  villain  Laugh-at-Death — who  has  given  us  more 
trouble  than  any  rascal  we  ever  had  in  the  country — say 
— '  Don't  blab  ;  let's  keep  the  cove  in  the  vault  dark.' " 

"  I  heard  their  slang,"  answered  Manisty.  "  Lift  his 
head  up  while  I  give  him  a  drink,  then  we  will  carry  him 
out  into  the  air.  Gently  does  it." 

Some  water  was  poured  down  Jack's  throat,  and  it 
instantly  revived  him. 

He  was  reduced  to  his  last  gasp. 

It  was  the  want  of  air  more  than  anything  else  which 
had  affected  him,  though,  of  course,  hunger  and  thirst  had 
brought  him  very  low. 

Carrying  him  through  the  hole  in  the  wall,  they  laid 
him  down  upon  a  bed  of  straw  in  the  outer  cave. 

A  current  of  fresh  air  fanned  his  face,  and  he  rapidly 
came  to  himself. 

The  cords  which  bound  him  were  cut,  and  the  blood 
circulated  more  freely,  so  that  he  was  soon  able  to  speak. 

''Who  are  you?"  he  asked,  looking  strangely  at 
Manisty. 

"  Oxford  police,  sir,"  replied  the  superintendent. 

"  Where  is  Hunston  ?  " 

"  He  has  escaped,  I  am  sorry  to  say.  But  we  have 
captured  the  rest  of  the  band. " 

"  And  Kemp  ?  " 

"  Kemp,"  said  Manisty,  tapping  his  forehead.  "  I  do 
not  know  him." 

"  I  suppose  not,"  said  Jack.  "  Do  I  owe  my  life  to 
you  ? " 

"  Under  Providence,  sir." 

"  I  will  show  my  gratitude  as  well  as  I  can  when  I  get 
back  to  Oxford.  I  thought  it  was  all  over  with  me,  but, 
being  an  old  campaigner,  I  waited  for  the  off  chance." 

"  Feel  very  weak,  sir?"  asked  Thompson. 

"  That  I  do  ;  and  so  would  you  if  YOU  had  been  treated 
as  I  nari  ** 


JA  CK  HARK  A  WAY  AT  OXFORD.  \  43 

''  Think  you  could  eat  anything  !  " 

"  I'd  have  a  good  try  at  it,  if  I  only  had  half  a  chance^* 
.^plied  Jack. 

They  set  before  him  the  ham  and  a  cold  fowl,  which 
Thompson  raked  out  of  the  larder,  with  some  bread  and 
beer. 

Jack  got  up  and  ate  like  a  horse. 

Manisty  told  him  of  the  hint  O'Rafferty  and  Dawson 
Lad  given  him. 

How  he  had  successfully  acted  upon  it  and  broken  up 
the  Black  Band. 

"  By  Jove  !  "  said  Jack,  who  was  beginning  to  feel 
himself  again,  "  you  deserve  a  putty  medal." 

The  superintendent  laughed. 

"  I  am  satisfied,  sir,"  he.said,  "  with  having  done  my 
duty. " 

Jack  drank  another  glass  of  beer,  which  in  his  exhausted 
state  took  effect  upon  him. 

Going  to  the  straw  bed  he  murmured — 

"  Think  shall  go  to  sleep  now." 

The  next  instant  he  fell  into  a  profound  slumber. 

"  The  best  thing  he  could  do,"  said  Manisty.  "  I  shall 
go  back  to  Oxford  now.  You  stop  here,  Thompson,  and 
come  back  with  Mr.  Harkaway  when  he  wakes.  Tell 
him  I  shall  not  say  anything  to  the  newspapers  until  I 
see  him,  because  I  do  not  know  how  he  would  like  every 
thing  explained." 

"  Yes,  sir,"  replied  Thompson. 

They  shook  hands,  and  the  superintendent  walked  back 
to  the  city. 

Jack's  breathing  was  heavy  and  stertorous,  but  he  had 
eaten  well,  and  there  was  little  doubt  that  he  would  be 
all  right  when  he  awoke. 

His  life  had  been  saved  by  a  miracle. 

Hunston  and  Kemp  were  beaten  once  more,  and  this 
time  more  severely  than  they  had  ever  been  before. 


144  JA  CK  HARK  A  WAY  AT  OXFORD. 


CHAPTER  LXXL 

THE   POISONED    GLASS. 

IT  was  a  lovely  morning. 

Sir  Sydney  Dawson,  O'Rafferty  and  Tom  Garden  were 
sitting  smoking  in  Harkaway's  room. 

Manisty  had  told  them  that  they  might  expect  their 
friend  in  an  hour  or  two. 

He  was  staying  at  a  farm-house. 

Monday  had  been  to  take  him  some  clothes,  and,  as  he 
had  had  a  day  and  a  night's  rest,  he  was  quite  himself 
again. 

Harvey,  who  had  recovered  from  the  effects  of  his 
wound,  had  been  able  to  come  out. 

He  also  came  to  Jack's  rooms  to  welcome  him  on  his 
return. 

As  he  entered  everyone  shook  him  warmly  by  the 
hand. 

"Glad  to  see  you  about  again,  Harvey,"  said  Sir 
Sydney. 

"  All  right,  old  boy,  eh  ?  "  said  Tom  Garden. 

"  I  haven't  the  pleasure  of  the  gentleman's  acquaintance, 
but  if  he's  a  friend  of  O'Harkaway's — I  give  him  the  honour 
of  the  O,  because  I  am  sure  his  ancestors  must  have  been 
Irish  chiefs — I  am  glad  to  see  him,"  remarked  O'Raf- 
ferty. 

Harvey  gracefully  acknowledged  the  salutation. 

"  I'm  told,"  he  exclaimed,  "that  you  expect  Jack  soon, 
and,  though  I'm  a  little  shaky,  I  thought  I  would  come 
out  to  meet  him." 

"  How's  the  widow?  "  asked  Sir  Sydney. 

Harvey  blushed. 

"  Do  you  mean  the  Duchess  of  Woodstock  ? "  he  said. 

"Yes." 

"Oh,  she  is  quite  well,  thank  you,"  replied  Harvey, 
looking  rather  foolish. 

"I  don't  like  widows,"  exclaimed  O'Rafferty;  "they 
are  too  knowing." 


JA  CK  HARK  A  WAY  AT  OXFORD.  1 45 

"Hilda,"  said  Harvey,  "never  loved  her  husband. 
She  has  assured  me  that  she  only  married  him  to  secure 
a  position." 

"Don't  get  excited,  my  dearfellow,"  replied  Sir  Sydney. 
"  How  many  thousands  a-year  has  she?  " 

"Something  like  fifteen." 

"  Oh,  Moses,  come  in  !  "  cried  O'Rafferty.  "  I'd  marry 
her  if  she  was  third  hand  and  as  ugly  as  the  mother  of 
Satan." 

"Perhaps  you  won't  have  the  chance,"  replied  Har- 
vey. 

"Oh,  it's  like  that,  is  it?"  replied  O'Rafferty;  "well, 
I  don't  blame  you,  me  boy.  "You've  been  making  hay 
while  the  sun  shines.  More  power  to  your  elbow." 

"Is  it  really  a  match  between  you  and  the  fair  Hilda  ? '' 
asked  Sir  Sydney,  looking  up,  carelessly. 

"  I  shall  be  very  much  annoyed  if  you  say  any  thing 
of  the  sort,"  said  Harvey  crossly.  "The  Duchess  of 
Woodstock  has  been  very  kind  to  me  during  my  illness, 
that  is  all." 

"I'm  sorry  I  spoke." 

"There  is  nothing  to  be  sorry  for,"  continued  Harvey  ; 
"only  I  object  to  having  a  lady's  name  coupled  with  mine, 
when  there  is  no  occasion  for  it." 

At  this  moment  when  the  discussion  was  becoming  very 
disagreeable,  Monday  burst  into  the  room. 

"Here  him  come,  sare.  Me  bring  him  back  in  a  car- 
riage. Him  all  right  now." 

"Is  he  hurt  at  all,  Monday  ? "  asked  Harvey,  anx- 
iously. 

"No,  Master  Dick,  him  sound  as  um  roach;  nothing 
the  matter." 

"I  could  fancy  that  we  were  in  Spain  or  Greece,"  re- 
plied Sir  Sydney  Dawson,  "  and  we  were  awaiting  the 
return  of  a  captive,  after  paying  a  heavy  ransom  to 
brigands. " 

"  Ah,"  said  Harvey,  "  you  don't  know  Hunston  so  well 
as  I  do.  Nothing  would  stop  that  fellow. " 

"  Perhaps  he  is  an  Irishman,"  remarked  Sir  Sydney,  who 
detested  O'Rafferty,  and  wished  to  annoy  him. 

' '  What  ? "  replied  O'Rafferty.  "  Is  it  a  blackguard  thief 
you  want  to  make  an  Irishman  ?  By  the  powers,  you  are 
not  a  gintleman,  sorr,  and  I  hate  a  cad." 


1 46  JA  CK  HARK  A  WAY  AT  OXFORD. 

"  You  can't  be  very  fond  of  yourself,  then,"  said  Sir 
Sydney,  quietly. 

"  Be  jabers  and  if  you  say  that  again,  I'll  knock  you 
into  the  middle  of  next  week,"  cried  O'Rafferty,  fu- 
riously. 

Turning1  to  Harvey,  Sir  Sydney  remarked — "The  worst 
of  the  Celtic  race  is,  they  are  so  anxious  for  rows. " 

O'Rafferty  was  about  to  make  a  retort  when  Jack  entered, 
looking'  radiant,  though  slightly  pale. 

His  appearance  was  the  signal  for  a  general  handshak- 
ing and  welcome. 

Every  thing  disagreeable  was  forgotten,  and  each  vied 
with  the  other  to  evince  his  delight  at  Jack's  return. 

"  Where  have  you  been?"  drawled  Dawson.  "What 
is  all  this  mystery?  " 

"I  thought  I  was  going  to  kingdom  come,"  replied 
Jack. 

"  How  was  that?  " 

"An  old  enemy  of  mine  was  the  captain  of  a  band  of 
burglars,  and — the  fact  is  O'Rafferty  and  I  got  tight  to- 
gether. " 

' '  Spake  for  yerself,  my  dear  bhoy, "  said  O'Rafferty. 

"  Well, "  replied  Jack,  "I'd  say  you  were  sober,  but  I 
don't  like  telling  an  untruth." 

' '  Very  nate  indade, "  replied  O'Rafferty  ;  ' '  that's  one  to 
you,  me  friend." 

"  Anyhow,"  cried  Jack,  "  I  fell  in  with  the  thieves,  and 
my  enemy  Hunston  bricked  me  up  in  a  vault ;  the  police 
came,  exterminated  the  band,  and  I  was  set  free.  That's 
;he  short  of  it ;  you  shall  have  the  long  of  it  if  you  like." 

"It's  quite  a  romance,"  remarked  Sir  Sydney.  "I 
should  write  a  book  about  it  if  I  were  you." 

"As  I  am  not  you,  I  shan't  do  anything  of  the  sort/' 
replied  Jack,  laughing. 

Going  to  the  door,  he  called  Monday. 

"Sare,"  replied  the  black,  grinning  all  over  his  face  in 
his  delight  at  seeing  his  master  again. 

'  Open  a  couple  of  bottles  of  fiz.      It's  early   to  begin 
drinking,  but  we  don't  kill  a  pig  every  day,"  said  he. 
'Yes,  sare." 

'  And  I  say,  where's  Buster?  " 

'  Mr.  Buster  all  right,  sare  ;  him  not  cry  him  eyes  out," 
answered  Monday. 


JA  CK  HAKKA  WAY  AT  OXFORD.  1 47 

"Oh,  you  black  villain,"  said  Buster,  coming  in  from 
the  outer  room,  "I've  wetted  two  large  sheets  a-crying 
for  Mr.  Harkaway." 

"You  one  big  lie,"  screamed  Monday  ;  "you  drunk  last 
night  in  the  'Three  Cups.'  Perhaps  you  crying  drunk.  I 
hear  you  say,  good  job  if  Mr.  Harkaway  never  come  back 
more. " 

" You  double-dyed  scoundrel!"  said  the  scout.  "I 
never  see  the  like  of  you,  no,  never ;  and  I've  seen  a  few 
black-hearted  ones  in  my  time,  but  it  remained  fora  black- 
skinned  un  to  lick  the  lot." 

"I  give  you  one  poke  with  spear,"  cried  Monday  run- 
ning to  the  rack. 

"I'll  give  you  a  jolly  good  English  punch  on  the  head, 
you  black  thief,"  replied  Buster. 

"  Hold  your  row,"  said  Jack. 

"However,  Mr.  Harkaway,  you  can  keep  such  an  inky 
abortion  in  your  service  1  don't  know,"  cried  Buster. 

"There  is  half  a  crown  for  you,"  said  Sir  Sydney. 
'* '  Inky  abortion  '  is  good.  I  admire  that  phrase." 

"Thank  you,  sir,  you're  a  gentleman,"  said  Buster, 
pocketing  the  money. 

"Go  to  Mr.  Kemp's  rooms,"  said  Jack. 

"Yes,  sir." 

"And  if  he  is  there,  tell  him,  with  my  compliments,  I 
shall  be  glad  to  see  him." 

Buster  went  away,  and  Jack  handed  his  friends  cigars, 
and  poured  out  the  wine  for  them. 

He  and  Harvey  were  like  two  brothers  meeting  after  a 
long  separation. 

They  talked  together  for  a  length  of  time,  and  Sir  Sydney 
exclaimed — 

"If  you  two  have  done  spooning,  I'm  on  for  a  mild 
game  at  loo.  Limit  it  to  four-and-sixpence." 

"Just  as  you  like,"  answered  Jack. 

"  I  can't  go  higher,  for  my  guardian  has  been  very  hard 
on  me  lately,  and  the  Jews  are  equally  disagreeable. 
My  borrowing  powers  are  like  my  loo." 

"Why?" 

"  Because  they  are  both  limited." 

Jack  laughed,  and  produced  the  cards. 

They  played  for  nearly  two  hours,  when  Buster  re- 
turned. 


148  JA  CK  HARK  A  WAY  AT  OXFORD. 

"  Excuse  me,  will  you  ?  "  exclaimed  Jack.  "  I  want 
to  speak  to  my  scout." 

He  left  his  stake  in  the  game  on  the  table,  and  asked 
anyone  who  threw  up  to  play  for  him. 

Going  to  Buster,  he  said — 

"You've  been  gone  a  long  time." 

"  Yes,  sir  ;  very  sorry,  but  couldn't  help  it.  Mr.  Kemp 
has  left." 

"Has  Mr.  Kemp  left?"  asked  Jack,  surprised. 

"Yes,  sir;  taken  his  name  off  the  books  this  morn- 
ing." 

' '  Did  you  see  him  ?  "  asked  Jack. 

"Well,  yes,  sir;  I  did  see  him,  "replied  Buster  in  a  hesi- 
tating manner. 

' '  What  did  he  say  ? " 

"Nothing,  sir." 

"Nonsense,  he  must  have  said  something,"  urged  Jack. 

"No,  sir;  he  didn't." 

"  Where  is  he  now  ?  " 

"Gone  away,  sir." 

"Gone!     Where?" 

"  Don't  know,  sir,"  replied  Buster. 

"You're  a  fool,"  said  Jack.  "Get  out  of  my  sight. 
Either  you  know  a  good  deal,  and  won't  speak,  or — but 
I'm  only  wasting  my  breath  in  talking  to  you.  I  shall 
get  a  fresh  scout. " 

"Perhaps  you'd  like  a  black  one,  sir,"  replied  Buster, 
impudently. 

"  Look  here,"  said  Jack,  "don't  you  be  cheeky,  or  I'll 
give  you  a  jolly  good  hiding." 

Buster  went  away  muttering  to  himself,  but  what  he 
said  was  inaudible  to  his  master  who  rejoined  his  com- 
panions. 

The  game  went  on  with  varying  success,  and  another 
hour  elapsed. 

"  Monday !  "  exclaimed  Jack 

Buster  made  his  appearance. 

"  Mr.  Monday,  sir,  is  washing  up,"  he  replied. 

"Oh,  bring  me  some  soda  and  brandy,  and  fill  these 
gentlemen's  glasses  with  champagne,"  said  Jack. 

"Yes,  sir." 

The  scout  poured  out  the  sparkling  wine,  and  went  into 
the  other  room  to  get  the  soda  and  brandy. 


JA  CK  HARK  A  WAY  AT  OXFO  RD.  1 49 

"My  deal,"  exclaimed  Jack,  "and  there's  a  miss." 

"No,  it's  a  single  ;  all  play,"  replied  Harvey. 

The  cards  were  dealt,  and  Buster  returned  with  a  largt 
glass  foaming  with  soda  and  water. 

Jack  raised  it  to  his  lips. 

He  was  about  to  drink,  when  Monday  rushed  into  the 
room. 

"You  not  drink,  sare,"  he  cried,  "you  not  drink;  I 
saw  English  white  thief  put  some  thing  inside.  It  poison 
you." 

Jack  placed  the  glass  on  the  table. 

All  looked  blankly  at  one  another. 

Buster  stood  like  a  statue,  and  neither  moved  nor 
spoke. 


CHAPTER  LXXII. 

THE    BANK    PORTER. 

JACK  was  the  first  to  recover  himself. 

Turning  to  Monday,  he  said — 

"What  do  you  mean  by  saying  that  my  scout  put 
some  thing  in  my  glass  ?  " 

"Me  see  him  do  it,  sare,"  replied  Monday. 

"Are  you  sure?" 

"Sure  as  that  Tuesday  come  after  Monday,"  replied  the 
black. 

"I  don't  want  any  of  your  jokes,"  said  Jack,  taking  the 
glass  in  his  hand  again.  "It  is  easy  to  see  whether  you 
are  right  or  wrong.  You  persist  in  saying  that  the  scout 
has  tampered  with  the  glass  ?  " 

"  That  it,  sare,"  answered  Monday  nodding  his  head  up 
and  down  emphatically. 

"  I  will  take  it  to  a  doctor,  who  shall  analyse  its  con- 
tents, and,  if  there  is  poison  inside,  we  shall  know." 

Buster  recovered  himself  a  little. 

"As  if  I  should  do  such  a  thing,  sir,"  he  said.  "Is  a 
respectable  man's  character  to  be  thrown  away  in  a 
moment  on  the  word  of  a  black  thief  like  that?  " 

"  I  don't  accuse  you,"  answered  Jack. 

"Throw  it  away,  sir,  and  laugh  at  it  as  a  bit  of  Mr. 
Monday's  playful  ways,"  urged  Buster. 


150  JA  CK  HARK  A  WAY  AT  OXFORD. 

"No.  It  shall  go  to  a  doctor,  and  if  poison  is  found 
inside,  we  shall  know  who  put  it  there." 

Seeing  that  he  was  determined  to  sift  the  matter 
thoroughly,  Buster's  manner  changed. 

"  You  need  not  take  the  trouble,  sir,"  he  said.  "  I  did 
put  some  thing  in  the  glass.  Mr.  Monday's  right." 

"  What  was  it  ?  "  asked  Jack,  sternly. 

"  I  don't  know." 

"Where  did  you  get  it ?  " 

"  Mr.  Kemp  gave  it  me,  sir,"  replied  Buster,  after  some 
hesitation. 

"As  I  suspected,"  said  Jack,  "you  were  not  two  hours 
gone  to  deliver  a  simple  message.  So  he  got  hold  of  and 
tampered  with  you.  Tell  us  all  about  it." 

"At  first,  sir,  I  said  I  would  not  do  it,  but  he  gave  me 
five  pounds,  and  told  me  it  would  only  make  you  go  to 
sleep,  and  it  was  good  for  you  to  have  plenty  of  sleep 
after  what  you  had  gone  through,  and  I  consented  at 
last ;  but  I  didn't  mean  any  harm  to  you,  sir.  May  I 
drop  dead  on  the  floor  this  minute  if  I  did." 

"1  believe  you,"  replied  Jack,  "  for  I  don't  think  you 
would  be  such  a  fool  as  to  risk  your  life  in  taking  mine 
without  an  object.  Be  more  careful  in  future." 

"Do  you  let  me  off,  sir?"  cried  Buster,  delightedly, 
"I'll  do  any  thing  to " 

"  Don't  make  a  noise,  my  good  fellow,"  replied  Jack. 
"  Hand  over  the  fiver  Mr.  Kemp  gave  you,  to  Monday. 
He  saved  my  life  perhaps,  and  deserves  a  reward." 

With  a  very  ill  grace,  Buster  parted  with  the  money, 
and  slunk  away,  leaving  Monday  grinning  at  his  evident 
chagrin. 

"  Him  not  like  give  up  money, "he remarked.  "  Break 
him  heart  to  part  with  tin,  Mast'  Jack." 

"  You  go  and  play.  We  don't  want  you  any  more," 
said  Jack. 

When  the  door  closed,  Jack  said — 

"  Did  you  ever  see  such  a  determined  enemy  as  Kemp 
is  ?  He  is  as  bad  as  Hunston." 

"Perhaps  acting  under  Hunston's  orders,"  replied 
Harvey. 

"That  I  am  sure  of,  because  they  were  together  in  the 
cave.  What  can  I  do  with  him  ?  "  " 

' '  Let  him  go,"  replied  Sir  Sydney.     "This  is  his  parting 


JA  CK  HARK  A  WAY  AT  OXFORD.  151 

shot.  You  hear  that  he  has  taken  his  name  off  the  books 
of  the  college. " 

"  I  don't  want  my  name  mixed  up  in  a  criminal  pros- 
ecution," exclaimed  Jack,  "but  I  must  call  in  the  pro- 
tection of  the  law,  if  they  won't  let  rne  alone." 

"  Oh  !  I  should  think  you  had  heard  the  last  of  them 
by  this  time,"  remarked  Harvey.  "  Hunston  will  not 
show  his  face  for  fear  of  Manisty." 

"  Very  true  ;  but  Hunston  has  got  a  way  of  working  in 
the  dark,  even  if  he  is  miles  away.  He  works  through 
other  people,  if  you  understand  me.  I  will  give  you  an 
instance.  You  remember  the  bank  robbery." 

"Yes,  it  was  on  the  night  of  me  little  dinner,"  said 
O'Rafferty. 

"Exactly.  Well,  I  never  told  you  how  they -tried  to 
mix  me  up  in  that  business.  Kemp  got  me  to  take  my 
pass-book  there.  Well,  Hunston  had  wounded  the  man- 
ager, and  robbed  the  safe.  I  saw  him  go  out,  and  was 
weak  enough,  instead  of  crying  out  about  what  I  had 
seen,  to  sneak  past  the  porter,  and  get  back  to  college." 

"And  of  course  you  had  a  visit  from  Kemp  the  next 
morning,  and  a  lecture  on  circumstantial  evidence,"  ob- 
served Sir  Sydney. 

"  He  hadn't  the  decency  to  wait  till  morning.  He  was 
on  to  me  like  lightning  that  night.  You  know  I  had  a 
little  money  left  me,  and  I  had  to  give  him  half  and  in- 
sure my  life  in  his  favour  for  a  heavy  sum." 

"  Oh  !  "  exclaimed  Harvey,  "that  explains  it  all." 

"Be  jabers,  it's  no  wonder  at  all,  at  all,  that  he  wants 
to  make  cold  mate  of  ye,"  said  O'Rafferty. 

"I  wonder  what  the  next  move  will  be?"  remarked 
Jack.  "The  constant  suspense  I  live  in  makes  me  as 
nervous  as  a  dog.  If  I  pass  my  greats,  I  shall  take  a 
cruise  down  the  Mediterranean  next  long." 

Monday  knocked  at  the  door. 

"  Some  mans  to  see  you,  sare,"  he  said. 

"What  is  he  like?"  asked  Jack. 

"Common-looking  man,  sare.  Says  you  not  know 
his  name,  but  he  friend  of  Mr.  Kemp,  sare,  and  if  I  tell 
that,  then  you  see  him  at  once.  He  say  he  some  thing 
to  do  with  bank." 

"Oh  !  wait  a  minute,"  replied  Jack,  who  added — 

"This  is  some  new  dodge.      Do   you  three   fellows 


152  JACK  HARKA  WAY  AT  OXFORD. 

mind  going  into  my  dressing-room  while  I  see  the  man  ? 
You  can  have  the  door  ajar,  and  hear  "every  thing  that  is 
said.  Your  evidence  may  be  useful." 

Making  no  objection,  Sir  Sydney  Dawson,  Harvey,  and 
O'Rafferty  went  into  the  dressing-room. 

Tom  Garden  had  gone  away  some  time  before,  after 
satisfying  himself  that  Jack,  as  an  athlete,  was  in  no  way 
impaired  by  his  adventures. 

The  visitor  was  ushered  in  by  Monday,  and  Jack  instantly 
recognised  him  as  the  bank  porter. 

With  an  insolent  familiarity,  the  fellow  sat  down  with 
his  cap  on. 

"I  suppose  you  know  me  again,  Mr.  Harkaway?"  he 
exclaimed. 

"Take  your  cap  off,  and  stand  up,"  cried  Jack  angrily. 
"  How  dare  you  take  such  a  liberty  ?  " 

"Beg  pardon,"  replied  the  porter,  "but  we're  pretty 
equal,  I  think  ;  howsomever,  if  it  pleases  you,  I'll  doit." 

He  rose,  and  removed  his  cap,  adding — 

"  I've  come  on  business." 

"  What  do  you  want  ?  " 

"  Money." 

"What  for?  "  continued  Jack. 

"To  hold  my  tongue.  Mr.  Kemp  used  to  pay  me, 
and  was  always  good  for  a  quid  when  I  called.  Lor  .' 
how  he  used  to  hate  the  sight  of  me,"  said  the  porter 
with  a  chuckle. 

"Mr.   Kemp  has  quitted  the  university,"  said  Jack. 

"  I  know  it,  and  that's  why  I'm  on  to  you.  Give  me 
some  thing  to  keep  quiet,  and  I'll  say  nothing  about  the 
robbery." 

"  You  can't  say  I  did  it." 

"  I'd  say  any  thing.  You  were  there  at  the  time,  and 
I  could  have  you  arrested,"  replied  the  porter. 

"Well,  you  shall  have  five  pounds,"  answered  Jack, 
"  only  you  must  admit  that  it  was  Kemp  and  his  friend 
who  robbed  the  bank." 

"Of  course  it  was,"  replied  the  porter;  "they  had 
squared  me,  and  it  was  arranged  that  it  should  be  fixed 
on  you.  Only  how  are  you  going  to  prove  it  ? — that's 
where  the  shoe  pinches." 

"Weren't  you  ashamed  to  lend  yourself  to  such  a 
conspiracy  ?  *' 


JACK  HARK  A  WAY  AT  OXFORD.  153 

"Well,  you  see,  I'm  a  poor  man  with  a  family,  and  if 
I  can  make  a  bit  over  and  above  my  wages,  it's  all  clear 
business  to  me,"  answered  the  porter. 

Jack  advanced  to  the  dressing-room  and  threw  the 
door  open. 

"I  think  you  have  heard  enough,  gentlemen,"  he  said. 

The  three  men  stepped  forth. 

"Quite  enough  to  convince  us  that  this  fellow  has  come 
here  to  extort  money,"  answered  Sir  Sydney  Dawson. 

The  porter  turned  pale. 

"That's  what  I  call  shabby,"  he  cried.  "I  didn't 
bargain  for  no  spying,  but  give  us  the  posh,  and  I'll  say 
no  more  about  it" 

"  Not  a  rap  do  you  have  out  of  me,"  replied  Jack.  "  Be 
off,  or  as  I  live,  I  will  prosecute  you.  Take  care  never 
to  show  your  ugly  face  here  again.  These  gentlemen 
are  my  witnesses  that  you  came  here  to  extort  money 
from  me,  which  is  an  indictable  offence.  Be  off  this  in- 
stant." 

The  porter  was  about  to  cpeak  again. 

But  Jack  took  him  by  the  back  of  the  neck  and  kicked 
him  into  the  passage,  while  Mom'.ay  finished  his  expul- 
sion by  running  him  out  on  to  the  landing  and  shutting 
the  door  in  his  face. 

' '  That's  lucky, "  said  Jack.  "  It  is  the  last  of  my  difficul- 
ties successfully  tided  ovjr.  With  Hunston  a  fugitive  from 
justice,  with  a  price  on  his  head,  and  Kemp  gone  away 
from  the  university  for  fear  of  exposure,  I  think  I  may 
look  forward  to  a  little  peace." 

Everyone  congratulated  him. 

"It  hasn't  come  before  I  wanted  it,"  continued  Jack, 
"for  I  mean  to  go  into  the  schools  for  my  bachelor's 
degree,  and  I  want  to  come  out  well." 

"  Get  a  double  first,  Jack,"  said  Harvey. 

"I  wish  I  might,"  answered  Jack,  with  a  faint  smile, 
and  an  eager  look,  which  clearly  showed  what  his  latent 
ambition  was. 

After  this,  the  party  separated,  Jack's  friends  being  per- 
fectly satisfied  with  the  result  of  his  various  persecutions. 

Every  thing  went  on  very  smoothly  for  a  few  weeks. 

Harvey  took  up  his  residence  again  in  college,  but  was 
a  constant  visitor  at  Hilda's  house. 

One  day  he  met  Jack  in  the  Corn  Market,  and  with  a 


154  JACK  HAKKA  WAY  AT  OXFORD. 

glowing  face,  told  him  that  he  had  proposed  to  Hilda 
and  been  accepted. 

"I'm  glad  of  it,  Dick,"  replied  Jack.  "How  many 
thousands  a  year  is  it  ? " 

"Oh,  bother  the  money  !  I  never  thought  of  that ;  it 
is  the  girl  I  love.  She  is  so  good  and  nice — you  don't 
really  know  half  her  good  qualities,  Jack,"  exclaimed 
Harvey. 

"I  suppose  you'll  cut  me,  now  you  are  going  to  be 
such  a  swell  ?  "  said  Jack. 

"  Not  I.  You  don't  suppose  I  would  cut  an  old  friend, 
and  such  a  friend  as  you've  been  to  me,  Jack." 

"  It  was  only  my  chaff,"  said  Jack,  seeing  a  tear  start 
to  his  friend's  eye. 

"Hilda  loves  me  dearly,"  continued  Harvey.  "She 
never  cared  for  the  duke,  whom  she  treated  with  the  ut- 
most coldness.  She  has  assured  me  she  was  only  a  wife 
in  name  to  him." 

"That's  all  right,"  replied  Jack.  "Bless  you,  my 
children  !  May  you  be  happy  !  " 

They  both  laughed,  and  strolled  on  till  they  came  to 
the  theatre. 

A  huge  poster  announced  that  there  would,  that  day 
week,  be  a  grand  ball. 

Jack  read  aloud — 

"Grand  Masked  Ball.  Next  Wednesday  will  be  given 
a  grand  Sal  Masque,  by  special  desire. — N.  B. — No  one 
admitted,  unless  in  costume  or  wearing  masks.  Tickets 
five  shillings  each,  to  be  had  at  the  box-office." 

"I  shall  go,"  said  Jack.      "  Will  you  come  ?  " 

"  No,  I  think  not.  Hilda  would  not  like  it,"  answered 
Harvey. 

"Please  yourself.     I  am  on  like  grub,"  replied  Jack. 

They  neither  of  them  saw  a  dark  figure  hiding  behind 
a  half-open  door. 

It  was  Kemp. 

"Going  to  the  ball,  are  you,  Mr.  Harkaway !  "  he 
muttered.  "  I'll  be  there  and  spoil  your  enjoyment. 
You've  licked  me  at  every  turn,  but  I'm  in  Oxford  again 
on  the  quiet,  just  to  see  if  I  can't  get  at  you  again  some- 
how." 

Still  strolling  about,  they  found  themselves  again  in 
the  Corn  Market 


JA  CK  HARK  A  WAY  AT  OXFORD.  1 5  5 

Close  by  was  a  tobacconist's  shop. 

"  Look,"  said  Harvey,  "  there  is  Dawson." 

"Spooning  as  usual,"  replied  Jack.  "He  is  always 
there  after  that  little  girl  with  the  blue  eyes  and  the  fair 
hair.  La  Favorita  he  calls  her." 

"  Does  she  like  him  ?  " 

"I  think  so.  It's  a  great  shame,  though,  for  in  his 
position,  he  knows  very  well  he  can't  marry  her,  and 
those  flirtations  generally  end  in  something  bad." 

"  How  moral  you're  getting,"  remarked  Harvey. 

"Is  it  fair?  I  ask  you.  The  girl,  I  suppose,  has 
friends,  and  is  respectable.  What  is  to  become  of  her?  " 
asked  Jack.  "  I  shall  go  in  and  buy  a  cigar." 

"All  right,  stroll  on,"  said  Harvey,  shaking  his  hand. 

Jack  entered  the  shop. 

Sir  Sydney  coloured  as  he  saw  Harkaway,  and  the 
girl  became  a  deep  crimson. 


CHAPTER   LXXIII. 

LA  FAVORITA. 

"COME  in,  Harkaway,"  said  Sir  Sydney  Dawson,  see- 
ing Jack  at  the  door  of  the  tobacconist's,  "and  give  us 
your  valuable  opinion  on  a  point  of  importance." 

Jack  walked  up  to  the  counter  and  said — 

"  How  do,  Ada  ?  " 

The  girl  who  officiated  behind  the  counter  smilingly 
answered  that  she  was  quite  well,  and  hoped  Mr.  Hark- 
away,  who  was  an  old  customer,  was  the  same. 

"None  so  dusty,"  replied  Jack,  "all  things  con- 
sidered." 

Ada,  or  La  Favorita,  as  it  had  pleased  Sir  Sydney  to 
christen  her,  was  a  pretty  little  blue-eyed,  flaxen-haired 
child  of  seventeen  or  thereabouts,  with  well-formed 
mouth  and  dimpled  chin  ;  her  nose  was  what  Tennyson 
has  defined  a  slight  "  snub  "  to  be — 

"  Tip-tilted  like  the  petal  of  a  flower." 

in  his  latest  poem. 

Altogether  she  was  a  winning,   fairy-like  little  thing. 


I c6  JACK  HARKA  WAY  AT  OXFORL, 

"What  is  this  important  point?  "  asked  Jack,  helping 
himself  to  a  choice  Partaga,  and  putting  down  a  shilling 
to  pay  for  it,  that  being  its  price. 

"I  have  told  the  Favorita  that  she  is  the  prettiest 
girl  in  Oxford,  and  she  won't  believe  it,"  replied  Sir 
Sydney. 

"  Modesty,"  said  Jack. 

The  girl  blushed  and  said,  in  a  low,  sweet  voice,  "an 
excellent  thing  in  woman,"  as  Shakespeare,  that  profound 
judge  of  men  and  things,  says — 

"Sir  Sydney  is  always  paying,  me  compliments,  Mr. 
Harkaway. " 

"  Is  the  truth  a  compliment,  Harkaway  ? "  said  Dawson. 
"  I  appeal  to  you  as  a  man  who  is  going  to  take  up  logic, 
when  he  goes  into  the  schools." 

"Logic,"  replied  Jack,  "has  nothing  to  do  with  love- 
making.  When  in  love,  a  man  must  be  in  a  state  of  mind 
which  enables  him  to  sink  below  reasoning." 

"Rise  superior  to  it,  you  mean,"  replied  Sir  Sydney, 
with  a  laugh. 

"Well,  I'm  sure  I've  never  been  in  love  and  don't  want 
to  be,"  said  La  Favorita. 

"Don't  tell  stories,  Ada.  Where  do  you  expect  to  die 
when  you  go  to  ? — I  mean — put  it  the  other  way,  you 
know,"  said  Sir  Sydney,  looking  at  her  reproachfully. 

"Love  is  all  nonsense,"  she  cried,  playing  restlessly 
with  the  Partagas  in  the  box. 

"  If  you've  never  been  in  love,  how  can  you  know  ?  " 
asked  Sir  Sydney. 

She  made  no  answer. 

"Let  those  cigars  alone,"  he  went  on,  tapping  her 
knuckles  with  a  briar-root  pipe;  "you  will  spoil  them. 
I  never  saw  such  fidgetty  mischievous  creatures  as  women 
are. " 

"You're  always  scolding  and  finding  fault  with  me," 
said  Ada. 

"  Don't  worry  the  poor  child,"  remarked  Jack. 

"Poor  child!"  repeated  Sir  Sydney.  "You  should 
hear  her  rap  out  at  me  sometimes  ;  don't  you,  Ada  ?  " 

"When  you  deserve  it,"  she  answered,  casting  down 
her  eyes. 

"What  do  you  think  she  wants  now  ?"  continued  the 
baronet 


JA  CK  HA  RKA  WAY  AT  OXFORD.  157 

"Couldn't  even  form  the  foundation  of  a  remote  guess. 
Is  it  a  new  bonnet  ?  " 

"  Nothing'  half  so  mild  as  that." 

"What,  then?" 

"Feminine  caprice  amounts  to  tyranny.  I  am  com- 
manded to  take  my  Favorita  to  the  masked  ball." 

"Why  not?"  continued  Ada. 

"Because,"  said  Jack,  "  a  girl  of  your  age  is  best  out 
of  such  scenes. " 

Ada  tossed  her  pretty  head  angrily.  "Anyone  would 
think,"  she  said,  "that  you  were  my  father." 

"Not  old  enough  for  that "  replied  Jack. 

"Well,  my  brother,  anyhow." 

"  Have  you  got  a  brother?"  asked  Jack,  with  a  search- 
ing glance. 

"Two." 

"Let  me  ask  you  one  question  :  Do  you  think  they 
would  like  to  see  you  going  to  a  masked  ball  at  the 
theatre,  with  a  casual  acquaintance,  who  is  your  supe- 
rior in  birth,  education,  fortune,  breeding  and  position  ? " 

Jack  spoke  severely,  but  he  did  it  for  the  girl's  good. 

She,  however,  did  not  like  the  tone  he  adopted  at  all, 
for  her  face  became  as  red  as  possible,  and  tears  came  to 
her  eyes. 

"  I  didn't  think  you'd  insult  me,  Mr.  Harkaway,"  she 
exclaimed. 

"  Hang  it  all,"  said  Sir  Sydney.  "You're  a  little  too 
hard  on  my  Favorita;  I  don't  like  it." 

"Very  sorry  if  I've  said  anything  I  ought  not,"  replied 
Jack,  "I  only  meant  it  for  the  best.  Come  outside,  Daw 
son,  and  let  me  say  a  word  to  you." 

Sir  Sydney  followed  him  to  the  door  rather  sullenly, 
and  exclaimed — 

"What  on  earth  is  the  matter  with  you  to-day  ?  " 

"  I  don't  like  to  see  a  poor  girl  like  that  going  to  perdi- 
tion. It  doesn't  matter  to  me  whether  you  get  wild  or 
not,  but  I  think  you  are  behaving  shamefully  in  making 
the  girl  love  you.  What  can  the  end  of  it  be  ?  " 

Sir  Sydney  got  angry. 

"That's  my  business,"  he  answered.  "I  won't  allow 
you  or  any  other  man  to  speak  to  me  like  this,  and  I 
don't  thank  you  for  your  infernal  impertinence." 

Jack  shrugged  his  shoulders, 


1 58  JA  CK  HARK  A  WAY  AT  OXFORD. 

"What  have  you  to  do  with  it  ?  Is  the  girl  any  thing 
to  you  ?  "  continued  Sir  Sydney. 

"  Nothing." 

"Well,  then,  be  good  enough  in  future  to  turn  your 
attention  to  your  own  affairs.  You  have  enough  to  do 
with  your  Hunstons  and  your  Kemps." 

"You  needn't  be  insolent/'  said  Jack. 

"You  provoked  it." 

"  I  only  warned  you  for  your  own  good.  You  have 
sisters  of  your  own.  How  would  you  like " 

"You  shall  not  talk  to  me.  By  Heaven,  this  is  too 
much,"  cried  Sir  Sydney.  ' '  Leave  me  at  once  unless  you 
want  a  riot  in  the  street." 

"I  have  done  my  duty,"  said  Jack.  "Good-morning  ; 
you  will  not  blame  me  when  you  are  calmer.  I  know 
how  these  flirtations  end  nine  times  out  often.  You  can't 
marry  the  girl.  What  is  her  future?  Suicide  or  shame." 

Jack  strode  away  without  another  wrord,  and  Sir  Sydney 
Dawson,  very  pale,  re-entered  the  shop. 

Those  parting  words  of  Jack's  rang  in  his  ears  like  a 
sentence  of  death. 

Suicide  or  shame  ! 

But  lighting  a  fresh  cigar,  he  stifled  the  still  small  voice 
of  his  conscience,  and  made  La  Favorita  happy  by  a 
promise  that  he  would  take  her  to  the  masked  ball. 

"You  do  love  me,  dearest?  "  said  Ada,  looking  at  him 
tearfully. 

"Better  than  any  thing  else  in  the  world,  little  goose," 
replied  Sir  Sydney. 

"And  you  won't  let  anyone  set  you  against  me?" 

"Is  it  likely?     I  am  not  a  child,  my  pretty  baby." 

"And  some  day  you  will  keep  your  promise  and — and 
make  me  your  wife  ?  "  she  went  on. 

"  Some  day,"  he  answered  drily. 

"Oh,  lean  trust  you,"  she  continued.  "Better  men 
than  you,  dear,  have  married  worse  women  than  me." 

A  couple  of  gownsmen  coming  into  the  shop  stopped 
any  further  conversation  of  an  amorous  nature. 

Jack  walked  up  St.  Giles  to  calm  himself. 

"  It's  a  rascally  shame,"  he  said  to  himself,  "that  any 
fellow  should  take  a  mean  advantage  of  an  unsuspecting, 
innocent  girl  like  that.  I  wonder  how  men  can  be  such 
blackguards. " 


JA  CK  HARK  A  WAY  AT  OXFORD.  159 

In  the  midst  of  his  reflections,  he  ran  up  against  Mr. 
Mole. 

"Hullo,  Harkaway  ! "  said  Mr.  Mole.  "The  very 
man  I  wanted  to  see." 

"What's  up  now,  sir?"  asked  Jack. 

"A  bachelor's  party.     Nothing  more  nor  less." 

"Are  you  going  to  give  one  ? " 

"lam.  I  have  gone  back  to  my  old  house.  Being 
a  bachelor  I  can  do  as  I  like,  and  the  fact  is,  I  want  to 
make  myself  popular,"  continued  Mr.  Mole. 

"What  for?"  inquired  Jack. 

"  There  is  going  to  be  an  election  for  the  city  of 
Oxford,  and  I  have  determined  to  stand." 

"  You,  sir  !  "  cried  Jack  in  astonishment. 

"  Why  not  ?  Am  I  not  a  man  of  discretion,  with  some 
money  ?  For  a  long  time  past  I  have  felt  that  my  light 
has  been  hidden  under  a  bushel." 

"Well, "said  Jack,  humouring  him,  "there  are  many 
worse  men  in  Parliament  than  you,  Mr.  Mole." 

"  Yes,"  answered  Mole,  drawing  himself  up  proudly, 
"  my  career  is  that  of  a  statesman.  I  am  a  born  politician. 
The  senate  of  this  great  nation  shall  thrill  with  my 
eloquence,  and  the  admiring  populace  shall  cry  aloud — 
'  A  Mole,  a  Mole  for  ever !  Hurrah  for  the  people's 
friend  ! ' " 

"You  will  go  in  as  a  liberal?" 

"Certainly — I  may  say  as  a  Radical." 

"  Then  you've  no  chance  for  Oxford,  sir,"  replied  Jack. 

"That  remains  to  be  seen.  I  shall  challenge  the  suf- 
frages of  the  electors,  and  stir  up  their  dormant  patriotism. 
Why  should  the  people  remain  serfs  ?  Wait  till  I  issue 
my  address  ;  I  am  busily  engaged  on  it  now." 

"  I  wish  you  luck,  sir,"  answered  Jack. 

"The  people  are  crushed;  they  are  poor.  In  fact,  I 
just  now  had  a  convincing  proof  of  the  demand  for  money 
in  this  city,  for  some  one  picked  my  pocket  in  Corn 
Market  as  I  was  standing  by  the  'Clarendon,'  rehearsing 
my  speech  to  the  electors." 

Jack  laughed. 

"Come  to  my  house,  Harkaway,"  continued  Mr.  Mole. 
'•'  and  give  me  the  benefit  of  your  advice." 

He  took  Jack's  arm,  and  they  walked  on  together. 


l6o  JA  CK  HARKA  WAY  AT  OXFORD. 

CHAPTER    LXXIV. 

MR.      M  O  L  E'S    AMBITION. 

MR.  MOLE  ushered  Jack  into  his  study,  and  opened  z 
bottle  of  wine,  which  made  him  loquacious  and  inclined 
to  be  communicative. 

"I  am  going  to  open  my  heart  to  you,  Harkaway," 
he  said. 

"Thank  you,  sir,"  replied  Jack. 

"It  matters  little  whether  I  am  successful  or  not  in 
this  electoral  contest ;  I  must  go  to  the  poll,  however. " 

"What  for?" 

"  It  is  part  of  my  programme." 

"I  don't  understand, "said  Jack. 

"You  will  presently.  One  of  my  pupils,  Lord  Tolling- 
ton " 

"  The  man  I  fought  with  swords?" 

"Precisely.  Well,  his  friends  are  high  in  office  in  the 
present  ministry,  and  I  have  asked  him  for  a  post." 

"  What  post  ?  "  demanded  Jack. 

"  Governor  of  Limbi. " 

"But  Limbi  does  not  belong  to  the  British  Crown." 

"I  know  that.  It  does  not  at  present,  but  I  have  been 
in  communication  with  Monday,  who,  you  know,  is  king 
of  Limbi.  He  has  consented,  for  the  sum  of  one  thou- 
sand pounds,  which  I  am  going  to  give  him,  to  formally 
hand  over  Limbi  to  Queen  Victoria." 

"  Is  Monday  such  a  fool  as  to  sell  his  birthright  for  a 
mess  of  pottage  ?  " 

"He  says  he  shall  never  go  back,  because  he  should 
die  if  he  left  you,"  replied  Mr.  Mole. 

"  I  believe  the  poor  fellow  is  devoted  to  me." 

"I  know,  and  more  than  that,  he  ^  in  love  with  an 
English  girl." 

"I  suspected  as  much.     Who  is  she  ?  " 

"That  pretty,  fair-haired,  blue-eyed  girl  in  a  cigar 
shop  in  Corn  Market." 

"  La  Favorita?  "  exc/aimed  Jack,  in  surprise. 

"That's  what  your  friend,  Sir  Sydney  Dawson  calls 


JA  CK  HARKA  WAY  AT  OXFORD.  j  6 1 

her,  I  believe.  But  she  does  not  dislike  Monday,  or  at 
least  she  used  not  to.  Perhaps  Sir  Sydney  has  cut  Mon- 
day out. " 

"  What  did  Monday  tell  her?  " 

"She  should  be  the  queen  of  Limbi.  He  will  keep  his 
rank  still,  you  know  ;  we  can't  help  him  calling  himself 
His  Highness  the  King  of  Limbi,  though  he  will  have 
no  kingdom." 

"  Go  on,"  said  Jack. 

"  Tollington  says  I  must  bring  my  name  prominently 
forward  before  the  government  will  notice  me ;  that's 
why  I  am  going  to  stand  for  Oxford  city  as  an  advanced 
Liberal." 

' '  I  begin  to  see. " 

"Whether  I  win  or  not  I  shall  have  my  name  in  all 
the  papers  and  in  everybody's  mouth,  and  when  Limbi, 
which  may  be  an  important  settlement  for  the  English 
in  the  Malay  Archipelago,  is  the  property  of  the  British 
crown,  I  shall  be  appointed  governor." 

"  Who  more  fit  ?  "  said  Jack. 

"No  one  ;  have  I  not  spent  many  months  of  my  valu- 
able life  there  ?  " 

"  Of  course  you  have." 

"Fancy  going  out  there  with  plenary  powers,  and  be- 
ing called  'your  excellency.'  It  is  a  dream  of  bliss, 
Harkaway." 

"Well,  sir,  you  know  best,"  replied  Jack.  "For  my 
part  I'd  rather  stop  here." 

"  Every  man  to  his  taste,  as  the  French  say.  Drink  up 
and  have  another  cigar.  You  will  rally  round  me  at  the 
election  ? " 

"When  does  it  take  place?  " 

"The  writ  will  be  issued  in  a  day  or  two.  My  address 
will  be  published  in  all  the  papers  the  day  after  to-mor- 
row," replied  Mole. 

"I'll  be  there,  sir,  so  you  had  better  look  out  for  your- 
self." 

"Don't  make  jokes,  Harkaway.  We  have  no  ballot 
yet,  and  bricks  at  the  nomination  are  as  objectionable 
as  rotten  eggs,"  said  Mr.  Mole  with  a  dismal  smile. 

"I  can  only  say  I  wish  you  every  success,  sir  ;  and 
now,  sir,  what  about  this  wonderful  feed  of  yours?" 
asked  Jack. 


l6a  JACK  HARKA WAY  AT  OXFORD. 

"It  will  be  a  supper  party,  and  I  shall  invite  fifty 
Oxford  men,  who  will  be  chiefly  selected  from  amongst 
my  pupils." 

"Yes,  that  will  do." 

"Ambonia  is  dead,  with  the  other  little  offspring  of 
ill-judged  affection." 

"You  have  a  right  to  suppose  so." 

"The  curse  of  my  life  is  gone  off  in  a  balloon — Heaven 
be  thanked  for  all  its  mercies  !  I  feel  myself  a  man  again. 
Oh,  Harkaway,  may  you  be  spared  the  awful  infliction 
of  a  vicious,  ill-tempered  wife,  whom  you  are  afraid  to 
beat  and  can  not  control  by  kindness." 

"I hope  so,  sir,"  said  Jack, adding —  "By  the  way.  I 
have  a  recipe  of  Monday's  for  what  he  calls  a  Limbi  pie." 

"Name  it  a  Pati  de  Limbi ;  every  thing  must  be  French 
in  cooking." 

"As  you  like.  Will  you  allow  me  to  contribute  a 
Limbi  Part  to  your  supper  ?  " 

"  With  pleasure." 

"It's  spiffing,"  continued  Jack.  "Crack  it  up  to  your 
guests,  and  if  they  say  they  ever  tasted  any  thing  finer,  I 
won't  believe  them." 

Mr.  Mole  gladly  accepted  the  offer,  and  the  invitations 
were  sent  out  for  Thursday  evening,  which  gave  him 
three  days  for  preparation. 

Everybody  liked  Mole,  and  no  one  refused. 

Tom  Garden,  Harvey,  Dawson,  O'Rafferty,  Lord  Toll- 
ington,  Franklin,  and  a  host  of  other  men  belonging 
to  different  colleges  expressed  their  intention  of  being 
present. 

The  fact  was  that  Jack  had  whispered  to  Harvey  that 
there  would  be  some  fun. 

And  when  Jack  said  there  would  be  fun,  it  was  a  moral 
certainty  that  amusement  would  not  be  very  far  off  at 
the  finish. 

Going  to  the  confectioner's,  Jack  ordered  the  crust  of  a 
pie  to  be  made  a  foot  and  a  half  high,  with  a  diameter  of 
ten  inches. 

This  was  to  be  sent  to  his  room  on  the  morning  of 
Thursday. 

Calling  Monday,  he  said — 

"  I  want  to  have  a  little  conversation  with  you." 

"  Yes,  sare,"  replied  Monday. 


JA  CK  HA  RKA  WAY  AT  OXFORD.  1 63 

"So  you  have  sold  Limbi  to  Mr.  Mole." 

''Mist'  Mole  !     Him  tell  you  that,  sare?" 

"He  did." 

"  It  am  all  true.  What  Monday  want  with  mouldy  old 
Limbi?  Him  never  leave  you,  sare." 

"  How  about  getting  married  ?  "  said  Jack. 

Monday  did  an  apology  for  a  blush. 

"  P'r'aps  she  won't  have  black  man,  sare,"  he  replied. 

"  I'll  tell  you  what,  Master  Monday ;  you're  going  on 
in  a  very  sly  way,"  said  Jack.  "The  girl's  a  pretty  one 
though,  and  if  you  can  get  her  you'll  be  lucky." 

"She  not  so  kind  now  as  used  to  was  to  be,  sare," 
answered  Monday,  as  a  cloud  passed  over  his  face. 

"  You've  got  Sir  Sydney  Dawson  to  thank  for  that," 
remarked  Jack. 

"  Ha  !"  cried  Monday,  all  his  savage  nature  coming 
into  his  face,  "you  know  the  lady  me  love,  sare  ?  " 

"Yes  ;  little  Ada  in  the  cigar-shop." 

"In  Corn  Market?" 

"Yes." 

"And  Sare  Sydney  he  talk  love  words  to  her?  " 

"She's  going  to  the  ball  with  him — the  masked  ball,  I 
mean,  which  takes  place  next  week,"  said  Jack. 

"Ha  !  Monday  be  there,  dressed  as  a  chief,  with  all 
his  kill  weapons,  and " 

"I  say,"  interrupted  Jack,  "don't  you  look  so  mur- 
derous. You  can't  kill  people  in  this  country  without 
having  your  neck  stretched  for  it." 

"  Will  Mast'  Jack  do  what  he  can  with  Missey  Ada  for 
poor  Monday  ? "  answered  the  black,  the  rage  dying  out 
of  his  eyes  at  this  reproof. 

"Yes,  I  will  gladly,  for  I  think  you  might  make  the 
girl  happy  with  the  money  Mr.  Mole  is  going  to  give  you, 
and  I  fear  Dawson  means — but  no  matter,  I'll  put  a  spoke 
in  your  wheel  if  I  can." 

"Thank  you,  Mast' Jack.  Monday  um  humble  serv- 
ant, sare.  You  put  spoke  in  um  wheel  for  Monday,  and 
um  not  forget  you,  sare,"  replied  Monday. 

One  of  the  best  traits  of  his  character  was  his  strong 
sense  of  gratitude. 

"Look  here,  you  piece  of  ebony, "continued  Jack,  "I 
want  you  to  do  some  thing  for  me." 

"Yes,  sare !  " 


1 64  JACK  HARK  A  WAY  AT  OXFORD. 

' '  Has  that  pie  thing  come  ?  " 

"It  in  other  room,  sare." 

"Bring  it  here,  and  go  to  Mole's  house  and  steal  his 
kid.  He's  only  got  one  left  now.  Ambonia  has  taken 
the  other  in  the  balloon  as  I  told  you,  and  I  fear  Mr. 
O'Rafferty's  shot  killed  it,  but  there  is  no  telling,  as  those 
nigger  brats  have  as  many  lives  as  a  cat." 

"Steal  um  kid,  sare, "asked Monday,  grinning;  "what 
um  do  that  for  ?  " 

"A  lark;  you'll  see  presently,  and  I  say,  bring  in  half- 
a-dozen  pounds  of  treacle. " 

Monday  nodded,  and  went  to  entice  the  child  away 
from  his  father's  house. 

This  was  not  difficult,  as  the  little  Isaac  liked  Monday, 
who  spoke  his  mother's  language. 

He  found  him  playing  in  the  street,  having  escaped 
from  the  watchful  care  of  Mrs.  Bimms,  who  had  been  re- 
instated in  her  position  as  housekeeper. 

Mrs.  Bimms  hated  the  black  child. 

"  Let  the  ugly  little  nigger  thing  run  in  the  street,  drat 
it !  "  she  said  ;  "and  perhaps  it  will  have  the  luck  to  get 
run  over." 

This,  however,  was  not  its  fate. 


CHAPTER  LXXV. 

A     DISH     FOR     A     KING. 

IN  about  half  an  hour  Monday  returned  with  the  little 
Mole,  who  was  very  friendly  with  Jack,  and  ran  up  to 
him. 

"Will  you  stop  and  play  in  my  rooms  ?  "  asked  Jack. 

"Yes;  me  stop  play.  What  give  play  with ?"  replied 
the  lad,  who  was  now  about  four  years  old. 

"Oh,  take  down  a  spear  and  play  at  pricking  Mata- 
bella." 

This,  it  will  be  remembered,  was  Monday's  name. 

"Thank  you,  sare,  me  rather  not,"  exclaimed  Monday. 
"  You  tell  him  prick  one  beast  scout,  they  call  him  Buster. " 

The  boy  amused  himself  with  looking  at  Jack's  trophies. 

All  at  once  he  said — 


JACK  HARKA  WAY  AT  OXFORD.  165 

;  £  You  see  maman  ?  " 

"No,"  answered  Jack. 

"She  come  back  soon  with  little  brother?  " 

"I  hope  so." 

"  You  not  sure?  Me  like  maman  best  than  papa.  He 
not  so  kind,  and  Mrs.  Bimms  me  hate.  She  snake.  If  I 
had  spear  I  would  prick.  She  slap  um  here,"  said  the 
little  fellow,  putting  his  hand  behind  him. 

Just  then  there  was  a  knock  at  the  door. 

"  Open,  Sesame  !  "    exclaimed  Jack. 

Monday  opened  the  door,  and  to  their  great  surprise 
who  should  walk  into  the  room,  but  Ambonia,  leading 
the  other  offspring  of  Mr.  Mole's  passion  by  the  hand  ! 

The  brothers  ran  into  one  another's  arms. 

"Well,"  said  Jack,  in  the  greatest  astonishment, 
"may  I  be  knocked  into  the  middle  of  next  week,  if  this 
isn't  enough  to  take  a  fellow's  breath  away." 

"  You  not  expect  see  me,"  replied  Ambonia,  smiling. 

"Frankly,  I  did  not.      Monday.hand  Mrs.  Mole  a  chair." 

"  Yes,  sare.     How  um  do,  mum  ?  "  said  Monday. 

"Oh,  I'm  as  well  as  can  be  expected,  Matabella,"  an- 
swered Ambonia.  "  I  been  up  in  a  balloon." 

"  Tell  us  all  about  it,  said  Jack. 

"  Me  go  up,  up,  up — and  oh,  long  way  ;  over  France — 
and  then  the  gas  got  out,  and  the  balloon  it  come  down 
and  stick  in  tree,  and  I  fall." 

"  Were  you  hurt?" 

"Yes,  little  hurt,  but  I  hold  the  child.  He  got  shots 
in  him,  but  not  dead." 

"  That's  a  comfort." 

"Peoples  in  farm  take  me  in,  and  when  all  well,  and 
the  child  not  much  more  matter  with  him,  I  sell  my 
watch,  chain,  ring,  all,  pay  peoples,  and  come  back. 
Know  you  one  friend  mine.  Come  to  you  first,  Jack. 
Always  liked  you." 

"Thank  you,"  replied  Jack,  with  an  attempt  at  a 
blush.  "Very  much  grattered  and  flattified,  as  Garden 
would  say." 

"  Now,  you  tell  me  all  'bout  Mist'  Mole,  my  husband." 

"Certainly.  He's  all  right.  It  wasn't  his  fault,  you 
know,  that  the  balloon  went  off." 

"  Me  know.  It  was  nasty  man  who  shoot  poor  child 
mine,  and  cut  rope  of  balloon,"  said  Ambonia. 


166  JA  CK  HARKA  WAY  AT  OXFORD. 

"Well,  to  tell  you  the  truth,  Mole's  been  inconsolable, 
cried  his  eyes  out,  used  two  sheets  an  hour  to  dry  them— 
pocket-handkerchiefs  no  good  at  all." 

"Ah!  Isaac  love  me  still,"  replied  Ambonia,  wiping 
her  eyes. 

"I  see  you  have  been  kind  to  other  child,"  she  ex- 
claimed, calling  the  little  fellow  to  her,  and  embracing  it. 

"Which  is  which  ?  "  asked  Jack. 

"The  one  shot,  him  mine,  but  the  other,  him  Alfura's  ; 
both  call  me  maman." 

"Now,  look  here,"  said  Jack,  "will  you  do  what  I  tell 
you  ? " 

"Yes,  me  do." 

"Mr.  Mole  gives  a  party  to-night,  and  I  want  to  have 
a  lark  with  him." 

' '  Where  he  now  ?  " 

"At  the  old  house  in  SL  Giles'.  He's  given  up  the 
country  one  and  come  back." 

"  Ah  ;  he  come  back.  He  got  that  Mrs.  Bunms  ?  "  asked 
Ambonia,  her  eyes  sparkling. 

"Yes.  He  couldn't  get  anyone  else.  You  can  sack 
her  easily  ;  don't  kick  up  a  row  now." 

"Me  wait,  if  you  help  me,"  replied  Ambonia,  biting 
her  lips. 

"Of  course  I  will." 

"What  um  want  Ambonia  for  to  do?  " 

"I'll  tell  you.  First  of  all,  I  have  promised  Mole  a 
Limbi  pie,  and  I  mean  to  put  little  Isaac  inside.  There 
is  the  crust.  It's  quite  big  enough,  and  I'll  bore  holes  for 
air. " 

"You  not  hurt  him.  Bless  um  little  heart,  "said  Am- 
bonia, with  motherly  affection  in  her  eyes. 

"Not  I.  I  wouldn't  hurt  a  hair  of  his  wool  for  the 
world. " 

"And  what  I  to  do  ?  " 

"You  must  come  in  after  dinner,  dressed  as  I  tell  you. 
A  thick  veil  will  hide  your  face,  and  the  dodge  will  be  for 
you  to  tell  Mr.  Mole's  fortune." 

' '  Tell  um  his  fortune  ?  " 

"Yes,  I  shall  introduce  you  as  the  great  fetish  from  the 
East.  He  will  ask  if  his  wife  is  alive,  if  he  will  get  into 
parliament,  and  if  he  will  be  governor  of  Limbi." 

"  Governor  of  Limbi  ? "  she  repeated. 


JA  CK  HARK  A  WAY  AT  OXFORD.  167 

"That's  the  latest  idea,"  answered  Jack.  "Monday 
has  sold  him  the  kingdom,  which  he  means  to  give  to  our 
queen,  if  the  prime  minister  will  make  him  governor." 

"  He  got  one  governor  himself,  already,"  replied  Am- 
bonia,  pointing  to  herself  with  a  smile. 

"Quite  right  too.  1  wouldn't  give  a  rap  for  a  woman 
who  couldn't  well  manage  her  husband." 

"Me  do." 

"Keep  him  down  Amby,  my  dear,"  replied  Jack,  jovi- 
ally ;  "  trample  on  him,  sit  on  him  and  pull  his  hairs,  and 
claw  him  with  the  marks  of  the  ten  commandments." 

"Me  do  all  that,"  continued  Ambonia,  looking  pleased 
at  Jack's  praise. 

"You  stop  here  till  Monday  comes  for  you.  I'll  coach 
you  up,"  said  Jack;  "and  now,  what  will  you  have? 
You  must  be  tired.  Shall  it  be  a  meat  tea?" 

"Very  nice  ;  that  do  well,"  she  answered. 

Jack  gave  Monday  orders  not  to  admit  anyone,  and  to 
prepare  something  for  Ambonia. 

He  went  over  to  Harvey's  rooms,  and  found  him  look- 
ing out  a  white  tie,  and  his  evening  clothes  for  Mr.  Mole's 
party. 

"Such  a  spree,  Dick,"  he  cried. 

"What  is?" 

"Ambonia's  turned  up." 

"  Go  on,"  said  Harvey,  incredulously. 

"  She  has,  and  I've  got  her  bottled  up  in  my  room." 

"  Hurroosh  !  "  cried  Harvey.  "You'll  plant  her  on 
Mole,  I  suppose." 

"Rather." 

"What  is  the  game?" 

"I  want  you  to  help  me  to  draw  up  a  little  handbill  to 
be  printed  immediately,  because  Mole  must  engage  her 
to  come  to  his  house  after  the  banquet." 

"  A  what  ?  "  asked  Harvey. 

"This  is  my  idea,"  said  Jack,  taking  a  pen  and  a  sheet 
of  paper. 

"The  Pythian  Priestess  rends  aside  the  veil  of  the 
future. " 

"Veil  of  the  future  is  good,  so  is  Pythian,"  answered 
Harvey. 

"And,"  continued  Jack,  "initiates  the  neophyte  into 
the  secrets  of  time.  Will  that  do  ?  " 


1 68  JA  CK  HARK  A  WAY  AT  OXFORD. 

"Stunning." 

' '  The  P.  P.  is  from  the  far  and  mystic  East,  and  her 
wonderful  abracadabra  has " 

"What's  that?"  demanded  Harvey. 

"Blest  if  I  know;  an  Arabian  charm,  I  think.  It's 
some  thing  to  do  with  magic." 

"All  right ;  cut  along." 

"  Has,"  continued  Jack,  "been  .pronounced  by  all  tha 
crowned  heads  of  Europe,  the  modern  Delphic  oracle." 

"Put  an  N.  B. ,"  said  Harvey.  "Say  the  Pythian 
Priestess  backs  herself  to  lick  table-turning,  common- 
place gipsy  fortune-telling,  and  all  similar  rot  into  a 
cocked  hat." 

"That  would  be  too  slangy,"  cried  Jack,  "  wouldn't  it  ? 
We  will  add — Moderate  terms  for  private  parties  ;  and 
now  I'll  go  and  get  this  printed,  and  make  Mole  engage 
the  priestess." 

"Is  that  all ?     Can't  we  do  anything  else ?  " 

"You're  growing  wicked,  Dick." 

"  I've  been  laid  up  for  some  months,  and  I  want  a  little 
amusement." 

' '  Well,  I've  got  a  Limbi  pie — Pat'c  de  Limbi — for  old 
Mole." 

"  What  does  that  mean  ?  " 

"It  means  a  great  big  pie-crust,  with  a  little  Mole 
inside  it.  Don't  it  remind  you  of  the  nursery  rhyme?" 
said  Jack. 

' '  Which  one  ?  There  are  so  many  of  them.  '  Let  dogs 
delight  ? '  " 

"No.  'Sing  a  song  of  sixpence ;'  something  about 
'four  and  twenty  blackbirds  baked  in  a  pie.'" 

"  Oh,  I  know — 

"  'It's  a  dish  to  set  before  a  king  ; 

The  queen  was  in  the  parlour, 
Eating  bread  and  honey ; 

The  king  was  in  his  counting-house, 
Counting  out  his  money ' 

That's  it.     Cut  off  to  the  printer's,  old  man.     What  time 
does  Mole  put  on  the  feed  ?  " 

"  Eight,  sharp." 

"I'll  be  there." 

"  Not  a  word  about  Ambonia,"  said  Jack,  warningly. 

"Do  you  take  me  for  a  kid?  "  answered  Harvey. 


JA  CK  HARK  A  WAY  AT  OXFORD.  1 69 

Jack  went  to  the  printer's  had  the  bill  struck  off,  and 
took  it  to  Mr.  Mole,  who  unhesitatingly  engaged  the 
Pythian  Priestess  for  the  evening  at  the  moderate  re- 
muneration of  one  sovereign. 

"She  will  cause  some  excitement,  and  more  amuse- 
ment. Let  her  come,  Harkaway,"  remarked  Mr.  Mole. 

"All  right,  sir." 

"Are  you  off? " 

"I  must  go  home  and  dress.  White  choker,  and  all 
that." 

"Don't  forget  the  Pate de  Limbi  you  promised  me, 
Harkaway,"  said  Mr.  Mole. 

"No,  sir,  I  won't.  It  shall  be  a  dish  to  set  before  a 
king,"  answered  Jack. 

"  I  mean  to  make  it  a  great  feature  of  the  evening,  and 
make  a  speech  over  it,  see  if  I  don't.  I  have  practised  in 
private,  and  am  becoming  quite  an  orator." 

"Good-bye,  sir.      Sans  adieu"  answered  Jack. 

He  hurried  back  to  his  room,  where  Ambonia,  having 
just  finished  a  big  tea,  was  talking  to  Monday,  and  play- 
ing contentedly  with  the  children. 


CHAPTER  LXXVI. 

MR.  MOLE'S  PARTY. 

MRS.  BIMMS,  who  was  once  more  Mr.  Mole's  house- 
keeper, did  her  utmost  to  do  honour  to  her  master's 
guests. 

She  was  delighted  at  being  reinstalled  in  her  old  place. 

All  the  best  china  and  plate  were  brought  into  use,  and 
the  table  in  the  dining-room  looked  magnificent. 

At  seven  o'clock  the  gentlemen  who  were  invited  began 
to  arrive,  and  were  amiably  received  by  Mr.  Mole. 

They  separated  into  little  groups,  after  the  manner  of 
university  men,  who  always  form  themselves  into  sets. 

Some  talked  boating,  others  cricket,  others  fishing,  and 
football,  and  there  were  those  who  held  sweet  counsel  as 
to  the  coming  examinations. 

Both  Harkaway  and  Harvey  had  passed  their  "little 
go,"  as  the  first  examination  is  called 


170  JA  CK  HA  RKA  WAY  AT  OXFORD. 

Owing  to  Harvey's  recent  illness,  he  had  been  thrown 
back,  and  could  not  go  in  until  the  following  year  for 
"greats,"  or  his  B.  A. 

Jack,  however,  thought  himself  well  prepared  for  the 
trial  of  his  classical  knowledge  and  general  attainments. 

He  had  really  worked  very  hard. 

When  we  consider  that  during  his  travels  abroad  his 
studies  had  been  interrupted,  it  will  be  easily  understood 
that  he  had  a  great  deal  of  ground  to  make  up. 

Franklin,  the  reading  man,  of  whom  we  have  before 
spoken,  gave  him  assistance,  and  his  tutors  all  thought  he 
stood  a  good  chance. 

"  Who'll  be  at  the  head  of  the  list  next  month  ?  " 

"Oh,  Franklin  or  Harkaway,"  was  the  reply. 

At  length,  when  all  were  assembled,  and  eight  o'clock 
had  struck,  Mr.  Mole  said — 

"Gentlemen,  it  is  my  very  pleasing  duty  to  inform 
you  that  supper  awaits  us.  I  can  not  ask  you  to  take  in 
the  ladies." 

"  'Cos  why?"  asked  a  rather  rude  man,  who  was 
immediately  forgiven  when  it  was  known  that  he  belonged 
to  Keble  College. 

"  Because,  my  esteemed  but  un grammatical  friend, 
there  are  none,"  answered  Mr.  Mole. 

There  was  a  laugh  at  this  retort. 

"Therefore,"  continued  Mr.  Mole,  "as  the  happy 
founder  of  this  humble  feast,  I  will  ask  you  to  kindly 
crowd  in  as  best  you  can." 

"Well,"  exclaimed  Sir  Sydney  Dawson,  "  as  I'm  rather 
sharp  set,  I'll  crowd  in  first,  and  let  the  deuce  take  the 
hindmost." 

Most  of  the  guests  invited  had  accepted  the  invitation, 
and  there  were  nearly  fifty  assembled  around  the  hospit- 
able board. 

Full  justice  was  done  to  the  good  things  provided,  and 
the  wines  were  as  excellent  and  as  well  appreciated  as 
the  provisions. 

When  the  time  had  arrived,  Mr.  Mole  rose. 

"Hear!  hear!"  said  Harkaway,  knocking  with  his 
knife  on  the  table. 

"Gentlemen,"  said  Mr.  Mole,  "hitherto  I  have  been 
unaccustomed  to  public  speaking." 

"Never  too  late  to  mend,"  said  Sir  Sydney  Dawson. 


JA  CK  HARK  A  WAY  AT  OXFORD.  1 7 1 

"  Now  it  becomes  almost  an  obligation  to  me,"  con- 
tinued Mr.  Mole.  "  It  can  not  be  a  secret  to  you  that  I 
am  about  to  contest  Oxford  at  the  election  in  the  Liberal 
interest." 

There  was  a  howl  of  derision. 

"Yes,  gentlemen,  I  am  the  Liberal  canditate." 

Derisive  laughter  followed  the  howl. 

"But,  gentlemen,  as  you  are  not  electors,  I  will  not 
inflict  my  eloquence " 

"Query  !  "  from  Sir  Sydney. 

"Eloquence,  I  say,  upon  you.  I  will  simply  call  your 
kind  attention  to  a  famous  pie,  which  is  made  from  a 
famous  recipe,  given  by  the  chief  cook  to  the  king  of 
Limbi. " 

"  Where's  that  ?  "  asked  an  irreverent  gownsman. 

"China  Seas,"  answered  another. 

"Allow  me,  my  youthful  enthusiast,"  said  Mr.  Mole, 
"  to  correct  your  geography  ;  Limbi  is  not  in  the  China 
Seas.  It  is  in  the  Malay  Archipelago,  and  as  I  have  been 
there  I  ought  to  know. " 

"  Hear,  hear  !  "  exclaimed  Jack. 

"Very  much  hear,  hear  !  "  said  Sir  Sydney  Dawson. 

"This  Pati  de  Limbi  is  a  magnificent  dish,  and  you 
will  all,  I  hope,  agree  with  me  that " 

"This  is  useful  knowledge,"  said  Harvey. 

"No  interruptions,  if  you  please,"  replied  Mr.  Mole, 
angrily.  "The  Limbi  pie  is  a  dish  for  a  king.  Taste  it 
first,  and  chaff  it  afterwards  ;  is  that  fair  or  is  it  not  ?  " 

No  one  made  any  reply. 

"  Monday,"  said  Mr.  Mole. 

"  Sare,"  replied  the  black. 

"  Bring  in  this  masterpiece  of  your  countrymen's  art. 
Bring  in  the  Pate  de  Limbi. " 

"  Coming,  sare, "  answered  Monday,  with  difficulty 
concealing  a  grin. 

Expectation  was  on  tiptoe. 

Every  man  wondered  what  on  earth  this  extraordinary 
pie  was  like. 

"Made  of  babies,  I'll  bet,"  whispered  Sir  Sydney,  to 
his  immediate  neighbour. 

The  neighbour  at  this  announcement,  which  was  given 
with  an  air  of  authority,  was  taken  ill,  and  retired  in  a 
hurry  to  an  adjoining  apartment 


172  JA  CK  HA  RKA  WAY  AT  OXFORD. 

The  pie,  which  was  as  much  as  Monday  could  carry 
conveniently,  was  placed  upon  the  table. 

Mr.  Mole  looked  at  it  curiously. 

Harkaway  sat  on  his  right  hand,  and  he  said  to  him — 

"How  do  you  carve  it?  I  am  not  an  engineer,  and 
don't  know  how  to  cut  through  mountains." 

"  You  don't  cut  it  at  all,  sir,"  replied  Jack. 

"What  then?" 

"  The  lid  lifts  off,  and  you  spoon  it  out." 

"Oh,  I  see.     Monday,  plates." 

Mr.  Mole  took  up  a  large  spoon,  and  with  the  other 
hand  lifted  off  the  lid. 

"Now,  gentlemen,"  he  exclaimed,  "I  will  make  you 
acquainted  with  the  taste  of  this  eastern  delicacy." 

All  eyes  were  fixed  upon  him. 

Suddenly,  as  the  lid  was  removed,  and  the  spoon  in- 
serted, the  little  Mole  sprang  up. 

To  keep  him  quiet,  Jack  had  half  filled  the  pie  with 
treacle,  which  the  child  had  been  industriously  sucking  up. 

He  was  covered  with  the  sticky  stuff  from  head  to  foot. 

Without  meaning  it,  Mr.  Mole  had  hit  his  tender  off- 
spring in  the  eye  with  the  big  spoon. 

Isaac  had  some  of  his  mother's  temper  in  him. 

Uttering  a  howl  of  rage,  he  sprang  upon  his  father,  and 
putting  his  treacly  arms  around  his  neck,  bit  his  ear 
sharply. 

"  Oh,  Lord  save  us  !  "  cried  Mr.  Mole.  "What  is  this  ? 
Help,  help  !  take  the  little  demon  off,  somebody." 

Loud  were  the  shouts  of  laughter  which  arose  on  every 
side. 

The  position  of  Mr.  Mole  was  comic  in  the  extreme. 

The  louder  he  shouted,  the  closer  clung  the  child  to 
him,  besmearing  him  with  treacle,  and  biting  his  left  ear. 

"Oh,  the  brute,  he  is  biting  my  ear  off,  drat  him!  " 
cried  Mr.  Mole,  furiously. 

No  one  seemed  disposed  to  come  to  his  assistance. 

Rising  from  his  chair,  Mole  seized  the  child  with  both 
hands,  and  forced  him  back  into  the  pie. 

No  sooner  had  he  done  so  than  the  boy  bobbed  up 
again. 

Mole  put  the  lid  on. 

The  little  Isaac  forced  it  up,  like  a  sprite  in  a  panto- 
mime. 


JA  CK  HARK  A  WAY  AT  OXFORD.  i  73 

Getting  on  a  chair,  Mole  sat  on  the  lid,  his  feet  resting 
on  the  table. 

"Harkaway,"  he  exclaimed,  looking  severely  at  Jack, 
' '  this  is  one  of  your  tricks. " 

"No,  sir;  the  little  beggar  must  have  eaten  his  way 
into  the  pie." 

"  Get  off,"  cried  Sir  Sydney,  "  you'll  smother  the  child. 
Shame  !  shame  !  " 

"Shame,  shame!  Beastly  chouse!"  echoed  several 
men,  still  laughing  heartily. 

"What  am  I  to  do?"  asked  Mole,  looking  blankly 
around  him. 

' '  Get  off  !     Off !  "  cried  the  men. 

"Am  I  to  have  my  left  ear  gnawed  down  to  a  grizzly 
stump  ?  "  demanded  Mr.  Mole. 

Jack  threw  his  voice  into  the  interior  of  the  pie. 

Imitating  a  half  choked  child,  he  exclaimed — 

"  Oh,  papa,  me  want  get  out  ;  me  stifle.  Get  um  out, 
please,  papa." 

A  Worcester  man,  who  was  endowed  with  fine  senti- 
ments, was  outraged  with  the  horrible  turn  affairs  seemed 
to  be  taking. 

"Get  off,  you  sir!"  he  exclaimed.  "You  are  a  dis- 
grace to  humanity  !  " 

A  dish  of  potatoes  was  near  him. 

Taking  one  up,  hot  and  steaming,  he  threw  it  at  Mr. 
Mole. 

"Oh,  my  ear!  He's  bunged  up  my  earhole  !  "  cried 
the  wretched  Mole. 

"Serve  you  right,"  said  a  Brasenose  man,  favouring 
him  with  a  brace  of  potatoes. 

"I  don't  like  to  be  left  out  in  the  cold,"  said  Sir  Sydney, 
and  he  too  took  to  throwing  potatoes. 

The  example  was  contagious. 

"It's  a  breach  of  hospitality,"  remarked  O'Rafferty. 
"But,  bedad,  he'll  kill  the  child,  and  I'll  chuck  a 
murphy." 

A  shower  of  potatoes  fell  upon  Mr.  Mole. 

He  tottered  on  his  seat. 

He  fell. 

But  rising  again  directly,  he  took  the  pie  in  his  arms, 
and  rushed  into  the  passage  with  it. 

Here  he  encountered  Mrs.  Bimms. 


174  JACK  HARKA  WAY  AT  OXFORD. 

"  Whatever  is  the  matter,  sir  ?  "  she  asked. 
Mr.  Mole  glanced  at  her  for  a  moment,  not  having  breath 
enough  to  make  any  reply. 


CHAPTER  LXXVII. 

THE     PYTHIAN     PRIESTESS. 

WHEN  he  recovered  himself,  he  said,  pantingly — 

"Take  this  wretched  child,  bathe  him,  and  put  him  to 
bed." 

"Child,  sir?  Are  you  mad  ?  I  see  no  child,"  replied 
Mrs.  Bimms. 

"  He  is  in  this  pie." 

"In  the  pie?     Oh,  Lord!  " 

Mr.  Mole  set  the  Pati  de  Limbi  down  on  the  floor  of  the 
hall,  and  the  little  Mole  jumped  out. 

"  Well,  I  never  did  ! "  exclaimed  Mrs.  Bimms.  "  Who's 
been  and  done  this  ?  " 

"  It's  a  trick,"  said  Mr.  Mole. 

"Oh,  those  Oxford  gentlemen!  What  will  they  do 
next  ? " 

"They'd  bring  my  wife  back  if  they  could,''  replied  Mr. 
Mole  ;  ' '  but  that,  thank  goodness,  is  out  of  their  power ; 
she  is  gone." 

"And  a  good  job  too,  sir.  If  I  was  to  see  that  black 
creature  again,  I  do  think  I  should  be  tempted  to  hang 
her. " 

"It  would  be  a  toss  up  between  you,  but  I  think  I'd 
back  Ambonia,"  answered  Mr.  Mole,  with  a  ghastly  smile. 

"  Let  us  hope  that  we  shall  never  meet,"  said  Mrs. 
Bimms,  solemnly.  "I  love  my  kind,  but  I  can't  abear 
the  heathen  vixens." 

"  Don't  talk,  woman  ;  secure  the  child,  and  get  me 
some  hot  water.  I'm  as  sticky  as  a  burr  with  treacle, 
and  I  do  believe  that  half  my  left  ear's  gone,"  exclaimed 
Mr.  Mole. 

Mrs.  Bimms  was  recalled  to  herself. 

She  took  the  child  away,  and  put  him  to  bed,  admin- 
istering many  a  slap  on  the  way  because  he  kicked,  and 
raved,  and  bit  so  abominably. 


JA  CK  HARK  A  WAY  AT  OXFORD.  1 75 

Hot  water  and  a  towel  put  Mr.  Mole  all  right  again. 

He  rejoined  his  guests. 

Jack  had  meanwhile  explained  the  joke,  and  when  it 
was  understood  that  the  little  "  nigger  boy  "  was  not  hurt, 
the  excitement  calmed  down. 

The  supper  proceeded. 

Monday  and  the  waiters  cleared  the  table,  upon  which 
wine  and  spirits  were  placed,  as  well  as  cigars. 

Everyone  began  to  enjoy  themselves. 

Mr.   Mole  whispered  to  Jack — 

"When  shall  we  have  the  Pythian  Priestess  in?  I  am 
anxious  to  consult  her." 

"When  you  like,  sir,"  replied  Jack. 

"I  will  ask  the  company." 

Mr.  Mole  rose. 

"Gentlemen,"  he  exclaimed,  "I  have  engaged,  at  a 
great  expense,  a  wonderful  lady,  who  can,  as  she  asserts, 
peep  into  the  future." 

"  Hear,  hear  !  "  said  Jack. 

"Can  your  priestess  tell  who  is  going  to  win  the  Uni- 
versity Boat  Race  this  year,  Oxford  or  Cambridge  ?  "  asked 
Garden,  whose  mind  was  nothing  if  it  did  not  run  on 
boating. 

"  Perhaps  ;  let  us  see.  Harkaway,  be  good  enough  to 
hand  round  the  circulars  of  the  Pythian  Priestess,  and 
kindly  tell  Monday  to  request  her  attendance  at  once. 
We  will  soon  prove  whether  she  is  an  impostor  or  not." 

Mr.  Mole  smiled  blandly. 

"  I  will  myself  question  her  first,"  he  continued. 

"Bravo  !  "  said  Harvey. 

"  There  are  a  few  questions  which  I  wish  to  put  to  her, 
and  as  I  wish  to  act  fairly  and  above  board,  I  will  tell  you, 
gentlemen,  what  they  are. 

"  First.     Shall  I  be  returned  as  member  for  Oxford  ? 

"Second.  Shall  I  become  governor  of  the  important 
province  of  Limbi  ? 

"Third.  Is  my  wife  Ambonia — wretched  creature  ! — 
alive  ? 

"After  this,  any  gentleman  who  likes  may  interrogate 
the  oracle." 

Mr.  Mole  sat  down  amidst  a  buzz  of  approval. 

"Here  comes  the  Pythian  Priestess,  sir,"  said  Jack. 

"  Let  her  be  seated,"  answered  Mole. 


176  JACK  HARKA  WAY  AT  OXFORD. 

Jack  put  himself  by  the  side  of  Ambonia,  and  guided 
her  to  a  chair. 

She  was  clad  in  a  mystical  sort  of  costume,  which  Jack 
had  obtained  from  a  shop  where  theatrical  dresses  were 
sold. 

The  skirt  was  of  white  muslin,  ornamented  with  death's 
heads,  snakes,  birds,  and  curious  fishes. 

A  long  thick  veil  concealed  her  face,  and  no  one  could 
have  recognised  her. 

"  The  priestess  is  seated,  sir,"  replied  Jack,  as  Ambonia 
took  a  chair  at  the  further  end  of  the  room. 

Whispering  in  her  ear,  he  added — 

"Don't  forget  what  I  told  you." 

She  inclined  her  head. 

"  Now,"  said  Mr.  Mole,  "  I  will  rush  upon  my  fate." 

He  advanced  to  the  priestess. 

"You  must  kneel !  sir,"  said  Jack. 

"Kneel !  "  repeated  Mr.  Mole. 

' '  Yes.   She  will  not  answer  any  questions  unless  you  do. " 

"But  this  seems  rather  undignified." 

"The  Khan  of  Turkey,  and  the  Great  Mogul,  and  the 
Shah  of  Persia,  and  the  Tycoon  of  Japan,  and  the " 

"Stop,  stop  !  "  cried  Mr.  Mole.  "  If  all  these  illustrious 
personages  did  it,  I  suppose  I  must." 

He  knelt  down  before  Ambonia. 

"Let  me  put  the  questions,"  said  Jack,  who  cleared  his 
throat  and  added — 

"Will  this  gentleman  be  elected  for  Oxford?" 

"No,"  answered  Ambonia. 

"Will  he  be  governor  of  Limbi ?  ** 

"Yes,"  was  the  reply. 

"Is  his  wife  alive?" 

"She  is,"  answered  Ambonia. 

Mr.  Mole  rose,  and  looked  around  him  very  uneasily. 

"A  very  remarkable  woman,  if  she  only  speaks  the 
truth,"  he  remarked. 

"Always  correct,  sir,"  answered  Jack. 

The  guests  all  seemed  inclined  to  take  their  turn  at  the 
oracle. 

"  One  moment,"  continued  Mr.  Mole.  "  Ask  her  where 
my  wife  is  now. " 

"Where  is  Mrs.  Mole  at  this  particular  instant?  "  said 
Jack. 


2  JA  CK  HA  RKA  WAY  AT  OXFORD.  1 7  7 

"Here!"  cried  Ambonia,  throwing  off  her  veil  and 
standing  before  her  husband. 

Mr.  Mole's  legs  shook  under  him. 

He  turned  green,  and  his  eyes  seemed  to  start  from  his 
head. 

"Jockeyed  again,"   remarked  Sir  Sydney. 

"  You  not  please  see  me?  "  asked  Ambonia,  sternly. 

Mr.  Mole  turned  upon  Jack  savagely. 

"This  is  another  of  your  confounded  tricKS  !  "  he  ex- 
claimed. "  But  I'll  wring  your  nose." 

He  made  a  rush  at  Jack. 

Ambonia  stepped  between  them. 

"  If  anybody's  nose  wring,  it  is  yours,"  she  said,  "  not 
Jack.  He  my  friend.  Come  'long.  I  show  you  who 
wring  nose." 

She  seized  him  by  the  nasal  organ,  and  dragged  him 
round  the  room,  to  the  infinite  delight  of  the  spectators. 

He  kicked  and  struggled,  but  all  to  no  good. 

At  last  she  let  him  go. 

"Oh,  my  poor  nose!  it's  half  wrung  off!  Oh,  you 
beast  !  you  black  fiend  !  to  come  and  disgrace  me  before 
my  friends  !  I  shall  be  the  laughing  stock  of  Oxford  !  " 
groaned  Mr.  Mole. 

Unable  to  face  his  guests,  burning  with  rage,  and  smart- 
ing with  pain,  he  ran  from  the  room  and  hid  himself  in 
the  coke  cupboard. 

Here  he  remained  concealed  till  all  was  still. 

Looking  at  the  university  men,  she  exclaimed — 

"You  go  out.  You  all  go.  What  for  you  come  and 
upset  my  house,  and  make  feast  ?  I  break  head  if  not  go  ! 
Be  off,  will  you?  All 'cept  Jack.  He  my  friend." 

Alarmed  at  her  furious  manner,  the  men  took  up  their 
caps,  and  started  off  helter-skelter. 

They  all  agreed  that  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Mole  were  good  fun. 

In  spite  of  the  exception  made  in  his  favour,  Jack  de~ 
termined  to  clear  out  also. 

When  Ambonia  was  alone,  she  hunted  for  Mr.  Mole, 
but  without  success. 

One  child  she  found  in  the  bed. 

The  other,  which  she  had  left  in  the  hall,  was  missing. 

"  Where  um  baby  ?  "  she  said  to  herself. 

All  at  once  she  heard  cries,  mingled  with  the  sounds  of 
smart  slaps. 
12 


178  JACK  HA  RKA  WAY  AT  OXFORD. 

"Back  again,  are  you,  you  varmint?  I'll  warm  your 
black  skin,  I  will."  Slap,  slap.  "  Where's  your  precious 
beast  of  a  mother,  eh?  "  Slap.  "  I'll  give  you  something 
for  supper,  you  little  Hottentot."  Slap,  slap,  slap. 

Ambonia  flew  up  the  stairs  like  an  enraged  tigress. 

"It  that  woman,  Bimms  !  "  she  muttered.  "Mole  got 
her  back  again.  How  he  dare  do  that?  " 

She  entered  the  room  from  whence  the  cries  proceeded, 
and  beheld  her  darling  stretched  across  Mrs.  Bimms's  lap. 

The  right  hand  of  Mrs.  Bimms  descended  with  frequent 
force  upon  the  child. 

Dismal  yells  came  from  the  sufferer. 

Ambonia  rushed  upon  Mrs.  Bimms,  whom  she  over- 
turned by  a  well-directed  blow. 

The  housekeeper  fell  on  her  face. 

Taking  off  her  shoe,  Ambonia  held  her  down  with  one 
hand,  and  inflicted  upon  her  the  same  humiliating  punish- 
ment which  she  had  meted  out  to  the  young  Limbian. 

"  How  y®u  like  it,  English  white  cat?"  she  screamed. 
"  I  make  your  skin  hot.  Why  for  you  beat  my  poor 
child  ?  " 

The  unhappy  Bimms  writhed  and  twisted  in  vain. 

There  was  no  escape  from  the  firm  grasp  and  the  cruel 
blows. 

Her  cries  were  fearful. 

At  last  Ambonia  left  off  because  her  arm  ached,  and 
she  was  exhausted. 

She  allowed  Mrs.  Bimms  to  get  up,  trembling  with  rage, 
and  purple  with  pain. 

"You  black  brute!"  she  screamed.  "I'll  summons 
you,  I  will." 

"  Go,  show  your  beats,  "answered  Ambonia,  derisively  ; 
adding,  "  get  out  my  husbands  house.  Be  off.  I  have 
no  white  snakes  here.  Go,  or  I " 

She  clenched  her  fist,  and  looked  so  like  the  old  gentle- 
man himself,  as  Mrs.  Bimms  afterwards  said,  that  the 
wretched  housekeeper  ran  as  if  possessed. 

Descending  the  stairs,  she  flew  out  of  the  front  door, 
and  tore  down  the  street,  not  stopping  till  she  reached  her 
friend's  domicile,  and  fell  fainting  on  the  threshold. 


JA  CK  HARK  A  WAY  AT  OXFORD.  1 79 

CHAPTER   LXXVIII. 

THE  MASKED  BALL. 

AGAIN  poor  Mr.  Mole  resigned  himself  to  his  fate. 

Submitting  himself  to  petticoat  government,  as  many 
a  better  man  has  done  before  and  since,  he  pretended  to 
be  glad  of  his  wife's  return,  kissed  the  children,  and  went 
on  with  the  business  of  his  election. 

The  day  fixed  for  the  masked  ball  at  the  theatre  drew 
near. 

Sir  Sydney  Dawson  and  Jack  had  agreed  to  go  together. 

Jack,  who  had  a  good  voice,  thought  of  going  as  a 
troubadour  or  minstrel,  but  he  gave  up  the  idea  and  hired 
the  dress  of  Mephistopheles. 

This  consisted  of  two  horns,  a  tight-fitting  red  suit  with 
a  long  tail,  cloven  feet  and  a  pitchfork. 

He  looked  a  very  gentlemanly  sort  of  devil,  and  was 
rather  terrible  in  his  black  mask. 

Sir  Sydney  attired  himself  as  a  bear,  and  made  up  very 
well. 

They  dressed  themselves  at  the  costumer's  and  went 
in  a  fly  to  the  theatre. 

It  was  eleven  o'clock  when  they  arrived. 

The  house  was  crowded  with  fantastic-looking  people, 
attired  in  the  costumes  of  all  nations,  and  representing 
every  profession  and  celebrated  character. 

The  whole  of  the  pit  had  been  boarded  over  for  danc- 
ing, and  the  merry  strains  of  the  orchestra  made  many 
feet  go  trippingly  round  in  the  mazy  whirl  of  the  waltz  or 
the  wild  impetuous  galop. 

Everybody  being  masked,  it  was  almost  impossible  to 
tell  who  the  masqueraders  were. 

The  voices  alone  betrayed  people  to  each  other. 

Sir  Sydney  and  Jack  had  made  up  their  quarrel  about 
the  pretty  shop-girl. 

Jack  had  asked  him  as  a  favour  to  give  her  up  and  let 
Monday  see  if  he  could  gain  her  hand. 

This  the  baronet  had  promised  to  do. 

"  I  will  meet  her  to-night  at  the  ball,"  he  had  »aid, 
"  and  that  shall  be  the  last  time."  . 


1 80  JA  CK  HARK  A  WAY  AT  OXFORD. 

Jack  was  satisfied,  but  he  did  not  know  what  a  selfish 
libertine  Sir  Sydney  was  in  his  heart. 

He  had  made  a  promise  which  he  never  intended  to 
keep. 

La  Favorita  was  enchanted  at  the  idea  of  going  to  a 
ball. 

She  had  told  Sir  Sydney  he  would  know  her  by  being 
dressed  as  a  nun,  with  a  white  ivory  cross  hanging  by 
her  side. 

Monday  had  obtained  Jack's  permission  to  go  as  a 
Limbian  chief,  armed  with  spear  and  axe. 

When  Sir  Sydney  and  Jack  entered  the  theatre,  a  dance 
had  just  concluded. 

Henry  the  Eighth  pushed  rather  rudely  against  Jack, 
who  gave  him  a  whack  on  the  head  with  his  pitchfork. 

"  Hullo,  who's  cracking  my  nob?  "  said  a  voice. 

Jack  instantly  recognised  Harvey. 

"  So,  Master  Dick,"  he  whispered,  "  you  said  you 
shouldn't  go.  I'll  tell  Hilda." 

Harvey  look  around  in  astonishment,  but  Jack  glided 
away  in  the  throng. 

Sir  Sydney  walked  up  to  a  pretty  girl  dressed  as  a 
columbine. 

"  Buy  me  an  orange,  Mr.  Bear,"  she  said. 

The  bear  immediately  put  his  paws  round  her  and  gave 
her  a  good  hug. 

"  Oh,  please  don't,  Mr.  Bear,"  said  the  little  woman 
out  of  breath  ;  "  you  make  my  stays  run  into  me." 

"  Aren't  you  a  little  duck?  "  said  Sir  Sydney.  "  Come 
along,  and  you  shall  have  as  many  as  you  like. " 

"What  a  nice  bear  you  are?"  she  answered,  taking 
his  arm.  "  I'd  no  idea  bears  were  so  kind." 

"  It's  a  way  we've  got  in  our  family,"  said  Dawson, 
leading  her  to  the  refreshment  bar. 

Jack  meanwhile  wandered  about,  "hitting  and  prodding 
people  right  and  left  with  his  pitchfork. 

No  one  lost  his  temper,  for  a  masked  ball  is  an  occa- 
sion of  license,  and  people  are  allowed  to  do  pretty  well 
as  they  like. 

A  masker  dressed  as  a  jester  or  fool,  with  cap  and  bells 
and  a  bladder  filled  with  air,  tied  by  a  string  to  a  long 
stick,  attracted  Jask's  notice,  and  he  gave  him  a  prod. 

Instantly  the  fool  let  fly  at  him  with  his  bladder 


JA  CK  HARK  A  WAY  AT  OXFORD.  1 8 1 

Bang,  flap,  flap,  bang,  boom  !  went  the  bladder  about 
Jack's  head. 

In  vain  he  probed  with  his  pitchfork,  he  could  not  keep 
off  the  shower  of  blows. 

Each  one  made  a  loud  hollow  noise,  and  the  crowd 
laughed  immoderately  at  the  fight  between  a  fool  and  the 
fiend. 

At  last  a  lucky  thrust  from  Jack  caught  the  bladder, 
and  pricked  a  hole  in  it. 

With  a  loud  report  it  dried  up,  and  only  a  bit  of  useless 
string  hung  to  the  stick. 

"  I'm  done  for,"  said  the  fool,  in  a  melancholy  voice. 
"  I'm  not  a  match  for  a  she-devil,  and  I  might  have 
known  he  would  be  too  much  for  me." 

Jack  glided  to  the  mask's  side. 

"  Mr.  Mole,  I'll  tell  your  wife,"  he  whispered. 

"  You  know  me  !     Who  are  you  ?  "  gasped  the  fool. 

"  No  matter.  You  are  found  out,  and  Ambonia  shall 
know." 

"  For  Heaven's  sake,  my  dear  good  worthy  sir,  for- 
bear," said  Mr.  Mole.  "  I  have  slipped  away  on  pretence 
of  addressing  a  meeting  of  electors.  Do  not  make  my 
house  miserable." 

"  Sir,"  replied  Jack,  "you  are  a  disgrace  to  your  sex. 
It  is  such  men  as  you  who  make  bad  wives." 

"  This  language  to  me,"  cried  Mole  angrily.  "  Who 
are  you,  sir,  who  dare  to  speak  in  such  a  manner  ? " 

"  You  have  chosen  a  proper  costume  ;  motley  is  the 
only  wear  for  an  old  fool  like  you,"  cried  Jack,  who  had 
all  along  disguised  his  voice. 

"  I  will  know  who  you  are  !  "  cried  Mole  furiously. 

He  made  a  dash  at  Jack,  and  tore  off  his  mask  before 
he  could  get  out  of  the  way. 

This  was  contrary  to  all  etiquette. 

"  Harkaway  !  "  he  exclaimed. 

"  Yes,"  replied  Jack.  "  Give  me  back  my  mask, 
bother  you.  Quick  !  I  don't  want  to  be  recognised,  you 
confounded  ass.  If  it  had  been  anybody  else,  so  help 
me  goodness,  I'd  have  knocked  him  down  !  You  deserve 
a  floorer." 

Mole  saw  that  he  was  seriously  annoyed,  and  gave  him 
the  mask,  which  he  hastily  put  on  again. 

Short  as  the  time  had  been  during  which  his  face  was 


1 8  2  JACK  HARK  A  WAY  AT  OXFORD. 

exposed  to  view,  there  were  several  in  the  crowd  who  re- 
marked his  features. 

This  had  an  important  result,  as  will  be  seen  presently. 

"  I  apologise.     It  shan't  occur  again,"  said  Mole. 

"  I'll  be  hanged  if  it  does  !  "  replied  Jack.  "  You  lose 
all  the  fun  if  people  know  who  you  are,  and  how  you're 
dressed. " 

"  You  chaffed  me,  you  must  admit  that" 

"  It  was  only  fun." 

"  You  won't  tell  Ambonia?  "  said  Mole. 

"  Not  I,"  replied  Jack,  who,  however,  intended  to  send 
a  messenger  up  to  his  house  directly  with  a  note,  inform- 
ing Ambonia  that  her  husband  was  at  the  ball,  dressed 
as  a  jester. 

"She  doesn't  know  I'm  here,  that's  the  beauty  of  it, 
and  I  intend  to  have  a  spree." 

"  Quite  right,  sir,"  Jack  answered,  recovering  his 
good  temper. 

"  It's  a  poor  beast  that  never  rejoices." 

"  Right  you  are.     Stand  a  liquor  ?  " 

"  A  good  idea,  Harkaway  ;  I  want  a  liquor.  Mine  is 
a  constitution  that  requires  a  little  stimulating  occasionally. 
What  do^you  say  to  a  bottle  of  fiz  ?  I  wish  you  had  not 
made  a  hole  in  my  bladder  though." 

Mr.  Mole  looked  ruefully  at  the  stick. 

"  Bust  up  !  "  remarked  Jack. 

"  You  punctured  it,  and  it  collapsed." 

"  Which  in  plain  English  means,"  said  Jack,  "  that  I 
picked  it  and  it  went  squash." 

They  walked  to  the  bar  and  ordered  some  champagne, 
which  they  drank. 

Then  Jack  wished  him  good-bye  for  the  present,  and  say- 
ing, "  Stroll  on,  sir,"  sought  another  part  of  the  room. 

In  a  corner  he  saw  a  bear  with  a  nun. 

' '  Dawson  and  Ada, "  he  muttered.  ' '  I'll  pipe  them  off, 
if  they  don't  twig  me." 

Getting  into  the  shadow,  he  listened  to  their  conversa- 
tion, wishing,  for  Monday's  sake,  to  know  what  Sir  Syd- 
ney's intentions  really  were. 


JA  CK  HARK  A  WAY  AT  OXFORD.  1 83 


CHAPTER  LXXIX. 

THE     MYSTERIOUS     MASK. 

AT  any  other  time  Jack  would  have  disdained  to  watch 
them,  and  listen  to  what  they  were  saying. 

But  under  the  circumstances  he  did  not  see  any  harm  in 
it,  as  his  intentions  were  good. 

The  end  excused  the  means. 

La  Favorita  spoke  first. 

"Oh,  Sydney,"  she  said,  "  I  would  do  any  thing  for  you, 
but  I  cannot  leave  my  situation  and  go  right  away." 

"Why  not  ?  "  asked  Dawson.  "  I  only  want  you  to  go 
to  Abingdon,  my  Favorita.  There  you  will  have  lodg- 
ings, and  I  will  visit  you." 

"Will  you  marry  me  first  ? " 

"  No  ;  I  cannot  promise  that ;  but  I  will  afterwards." 

"Do  not  urge  me  further,"  she  said,  tearfully.  "You 
have  made  me  love  you,  and  that  is  misery  enough.  I  feel 
I  ought  to  break  off  our  connection  before  worse  comes." 

"You  little  silly  thing,"  he  replied,  looking  at  her  af- 
fectionately. "  Why  cannot  you  trust  me?  " 

"I  could  marry  one  who  really  loves  me." 

"Who  is  it?  Oh  !  I  know  who  you  mean.  Harkaway's 
black  servant ;  well,  you  must  have  a  nice  taste,  I'm 
sure,"  he  replied,  sarcastically. 

"  He  is  a  king  and  idolizes  me,"  replied  Ada, 

"  My  dear  child,"  replied  Sir  Sydney,  with  a  sneer,  "  I 
am  very  sorry  I  did  not  know  sooner,  that  you  preferred 
men  of  colour." 

"  I  don't  prefer  them,"  she  said,  firmly.  "  But  I  must 
say,  that  I  would  rather  be  the  wife  of  King  Matabella  or 
Monday,  as  you  call  him,  than — than " 

She  hesitated,  and  then  burst  into  tears. 

"You  don't  know  your  own  mind,  my  pet,"  replied  Sir 
Sydney,  more  kindly.  "You  will  go  to  Abingdon  to- 
morrow with  me,  and  then  if,  after  a  week's  reflection,  you 
want  to  come  back  to  your  black  prince,  you  shall. 
Hark  !  the  band  is  playing  a  quadrille.  Will  you  dance  ?  " 

He  exercised  a  strange  fascination  over  her. 


1 34  JACK  HARK  A  WA  Y  AT  OXFORD. 

Smiling  through  her  tears,  she  looked  up  lovingly  in  his 
face  and  consented. 

He  led  her  away  in  triumph,  and  Jack  feared  that  from 
that  moment  she  was  lost. 

"  Poor  thing  !  "he  said  to  himself.  "  Dawson  is  a  villain. 
I  can  do  nothing  for  her  now,  but  I  will  try  to  see  her  in 
the  morning.  It  is  a  cruel  shame  that  men  should  be  so 
heartless.  Poor  child  !  perhaps  she  has  a  father  and 
mother  whose  hearts  would  be  broken  if  she  brought 
shame  into  their  house." 

He  was  about  to  turn  round,  when  a  tall  woman, 
dressed  as  a  Spanish  grandee's  wife,  faced  him. 

"Pardon  me,"  she  said,  in  a  low  voice.  "I  very 
nearly  trod  on  your  tail.  Really,  devils  should  be  more 
careful.  Why  do  you  not  carry  your  tail  over  your 
arm  ? " 

"Thank  you,"  replied  Jack,  "I  was  thinking  of  some- 
thing else  for  the  moment." 

"  Of  Sir  Sydney  Dawson,  and  the  Favorita,  I  presume?" 
returned  the  lady. 

Jack  started. 

"  How  do  you  know  that?"  he  asked. 

"Oh,  I  know  every  thing,  even  your  name,  Mr.  Hark- 
away,"  answered  the  splendidly-dressed  Spaniard. 

' '  By  Jove  !  "  said  Jack.      ' '  Who  are  you  ? " 

"It  is  impertinent  to  ask  questions,  but  I  will  tell  you 
that  I  am  dreadfully  mysterious.  Later  ii?  the  evening 
you  may  know  more  ;  at  present,  I  am  not  in  a  talkative 
mood," 

"Rare  thing  for  a  woman,"  said  Jack. 

"Thank  you  ;  rather  smart  that.  Poor  Favorita,  we 
were  speaking  of  her  just  now.  Don't  you  think  your  sex 
very  heartless,  Mr.  Harkaway  ?  " 

"  Some  of  them." 

"Ah!  of  course.  You  belong  to  the  virtuous  set. 
Well,  the  fair  Emily  is  lucky  ;  still,  I  am  sorry  for  that 
poor  child  in  the  nun's  dress. " 

"Who the  deuce  can  she  be?"  thought  Jack.  "She 
knows  every  thing.  I'll  never  leave  her  till  I  find  out. 
Can  she  be  Hilda?  No.  It's  not  her  voice,  and  she  is 
rather  taller.  By  George,  I'm  puzzled. " 

"Now  I  must  leave  you,"  said  the  mask.  "We  shall 
meet  again  later  in  the  evening. " 


JA  CK  HARKA  WAY  AT  OXFORD.  \  8  5 

"I  can  not  let  you  go  like  this,"  repeated  Jack,  whose 
curiosity  was  piqued. 

"How  can  you  detain  me?" 

"Only  by  persuasion.  You  will  take  a  glass  of  wine 
with  me,  or  honorr  me  with  your  hand  for  a  dance." 

"  Thank  you  ;  I  have  been  dancing,"  answered  the 
mask,  with  a  slight  air  of  fatigue,  which  Jack  was  not 
slow  to  notice. 

"You  must  be  tired,"  he  exclaimed.  "There  is  a  little 
room  at  the  back  of  the  buffet,  where  we  can  sit  down. 
Take  my  arm." 

"  I  am  afraid  you  will  have  a  very  bad  opinion  of  me 
for  yielding  so  easily  to  your  wishes,"  replied  the  mask, 
putting  herself  by  his  side. 

"Oh,  no.  At  a  ball  like  this,  everybody  does  as  they 
like. " 

"  Wouldn't  Emily  be  jealous  ? " 

"What  the  eye  can't  see,  the  heart  does  not  grieve  for," 
replied  Jack,  with  a  smile. 

"  Ah  !  you  men,  you  m:n  !  "  exclaimed  the  mask,  flirt- 
ing her  fan  ;  "you  are  all  alike.  Men  were  deceivers  ever." 

"  Do  you  know  what  the  French  say?" 

"They  say  so  many  things  ;  their  morality  is  so  strange. 
Tell  me  what  it  is." 

"When  one  has  not  the  one  whom  one  loves,  one  must 
love  the  one  that  one  has." 

"Then  you  mean  to  imply  that  you  love  me,  whose 
face  you  have  not  seen." 

"I  am  interested  in  you,"  said  Jack,  handing  her  to  a 
seat  in  front  of  a  little  table. 

The  room  was  not  full,  containing  only  a  dozen  people, 
the  others  being  engaged  in  dancing  and  frolicking  in  the 
ballroom. 

"  Waiter !  "  exclaimed  Jack,  "a  bottle  of  champagne." 

The  wine  was  placed  before  them,  and  Jack  drank  to 
his  fair  companion. 

"Will  you  not  remove  your  mask?  It  is  so  hot  and 
close,"  said  Jack. 

The  dark,  flashing  eyes  looked  tantalizingly  at  him 
through  the  holes  in  the  domino. 

A  faint  smile  curled  round  the  corners  of  the  mouth, 
which  was  just  visible  through  the  fringe  which  hung 
round  the  edge  of  the  mask. 


186  JACK  HARK'A WAY  AT  OXFORD. 

"Thank  you  ;  I  prefer  to  keep  myself  unknown,"  she 
answered. 

"At  least,  tell  me  your  name,  or  give  me  an  appoint- 
ment, where  I  can  meet  you  to-morrow." 

"Impossible,"  replied  the  mask.  "  If  my  friends  were 
to  knowt  hat  I  was  here,  I  should  never  be  forgiven. 
Sir  !  is  not  that  someone  you  know  looking  at  you  ?  " 

Jack  turned  his  head,  and  saw  a  savage-looking  chief 
at  his  elbow. 

"  Monday  !  "  he  exclaimed. 

The  black  made  no  answer  ;  he  had  his  eyes  fixed  in- 
tently upon  the  mask. 

Suddenly  he  pointed  his  spear  at  her,  and  made  a  thrust 
with  it  in  her  side. 

The  shock,  without  actually  hurting  the  lady,  caused 
her  to  fall  from  her  chair. 

The  glasses  shook  on  the  table. 

Monday  ran  to  prevent  them  falling,  but  as  he  did  so, 
very  quickly  changed  their  position. 

So,  without  either  of  them  knowing  it,  Harkaway's 
glass  was  before  the  fair  unknown,  and  hers  before  him. 

Jack  rushed  to  the  mask's  assistance,  and  raising  her  up, 
placed  her  on  her  chair  again. 

Then,  turning  fiercely  to  Monday,  he  demanded  angrily 
what  he  meant  by  such  ruffianly  conduct. 


CHAPTER  LXXX. 

BEHIND   THE    MASK. 

MONDAY  hastened  to  put  his  master  in  a  good  temper. 

"Me see  everyone  else  poke  fun,  sare,"  he  replied. 

"Why  should  you  take  the  liberty  of  doing  such  a 
thing  to  a  lady  ? "  answered  Jack. 

"Give  poke  with  debble's  pitchfork,  sare;  me  sorry 
upset  the  lady." 

"Well,  be  off  about  your  business.  I  meant  to  have 
sent  you  up  to  Mole's  house  to  tell  Ambonia  to  come 
down,  but  you  have  annoyed  me,  and  I'm  not  in  the 
humour  now.  Cut  along  and  get  out  of  my  sight." 

Monday  retired,  though  he  did  not  leave  the  room.     He 


JA  CK  HA  RKA  WAY  AT  OXFORD.  187 

hid  himself  behind  a  screen  from  which  he  could  watch 
the  mask  and  his  master. 

"Me  just  in  time  there,"  he  muttered. 

The  mask  said  to  Jack — 

"You  must  forgive  him.  He  only  availed  himself  of 
the  license  of  the  evening." 

"  Hang  his  impudence  !  ''  replied  Jack. 

"Think  no  more  of  it;  I  am  not  hurt.  You  don't 
drink  your  wine  ;  I  will  pledge  you." 

They  raised  their  glasses,  and  emptied  them  at  a 
draught. 

The  mask  shuddered. 

"You  tremble,"  said  Jack,  anxiously;  "are  you 
cold  ? " 

"No.  It  was  a  strange  feeling;  do  not  people  say, 
that  when  you  shiver  like  that,  without  a  cause,  someone 
is  walking  over  your  grave  ?  " 

"I  have  heard  so." 

"I  will  walk  about,"  continued  the  mask. 

"Say  that  you  will  have  supper  with  me, "said  Jack, 
who  was  mad  at  the  thought  that  he  should  be  unable  to 
discover  who  his  fair  companion  was. 

"Very  well,  at  two  o'clock  I  will  meet  you  here," 
replied  the  mask,  with  an  encouraging  smile. 

"And  after  supper  you  will  unmask?  " 

"Yes." 

Jack  fancied  he  saw  the  corners  of  her  mouth  twitch 
and  quiver  as  if  with  an  internal  spasm. 

She  pressed  his  hand,  and  glided  away  like  a  fairy 
spirit. 

Lingering  a  moment  behind,  Jack  got  up,  and  also 
prepared  to  join  the  gay  and  noisy  throng  on  the  stage. 

The  fun  was  growing  fast  and  furious. 

Mr.  Mole  had  been  drinking  with  everybody  and  was 
very  much  screwed. 

Jack  found  him  perched  on  the  edge  of  a  private  box, 
holding  his  mask  in  one  hand,  and  waving  the  other  to 
an  admiring  crowd. 

He  thought  he  was  addressing  the  electors. 

"  Free  and  independent  electors  of  the  city  of  Oxsh- 
ford,"  he  cried;  "vote  for  Mole,  the  candidate  of  the 
peoplesh,  and  return  him  triumphantly  at  the  head  of 
the  polish." 


I  JA  CK  HARK  A  WAY  AT  OXFORD. 

"  Hear,  hear  !  "  cried  Jack. 

' '  This  is  the  time  when  people  should  rise  in  their 
might,  and  shweep  away  the  last  remnantsh  of  aristo- 
cratish  abushes." 

"  Down  with  the  Radical !  "  cried  a  man. 

"Don't  throw  oranges  at  him,"  said  Jack. 

The  hint  was  immediately  taken,  as  he  meant  it  should 
be,  and  a  volley  of  oranges  flew  at  the  ambitious  Mole. 

"  Gentlemansh  call  me  a  Radicalsh,"  said  Mole. 
"What's  a  Radicalsh ?  Anshwer  me  that." 

He  looked  round  him  with  drunken  gravity. 

An  orange  struck  him  in  the  eye. 

"  Orangesh  in  the  eye,"  he  muttered;  "come  to 
rotton  eggsh  next  and  cabbage  stalksh.  Better  slopesh." 

Another  volley  striking  him  on  various  parts  of  the 
head,  he  fell  backwards,  and  lay  very  contentedly  at  the 
bottom  of  the  box. 

"Vote  for  Molesh,"  he  said,  childishly,  "vote  for 
Molesh,  that's  the  ticketsh.  Hurrah  for  Moles  !  I  can 
do  it." 

Then  he  went  off  in  a  sound  slumber,  and  snored  like 
a  pig  in  the  sun. 

Much  amused,  Jack  strolled  on,  and  at  last  was 
stopped  by  a  dense  crowd. 

"What's  the  matter ? "  he  inquired. 

"Lady  fainted,  I  think,"  was  the  reply. 

Something  struck  Jack  that  the  lady  in  question  was 
his  fair  unknown. 

She  had  shown  symptoms  of  uneasiness,  if  not  pain, 
just  before  leaving  him. 

By  dint  of  pushing  and  considerable  exertion,  he  got 
through  the  throng. 

"Give  her  air,"  said  someone. 

Instantly  four  maskers  took  up  a  pallid  form  and 
carried  it  into  a  corridor,  in  which  was  a  free  current  of 
cool  air. 

It  was  as  Jack  had  surmised,  the  Spanish  lady  who 
was  dressed  with  so  much  magnificence,  and  had  roused 
his  curiosity  to  such  a  pitch. 

He  came  up  just  in  time  to  see  her  mask  raised  from 
the  face  in  order  that  some  water  might  be  thrown  upon 
it 

The  face  was  convulsed  with  agony,   the  limbs  con- 


JACK  HARKA  WAY  AT  OXFORD.  189 

torted  and  twitching  in  convulsive  spasms,  and  deep 
groans  broke  from  the  livid  lips. 

Jack  started  back  in  horror.  It  was  not  a  woman's 
face  at  all,  but  a  man's.  Moustache,  whiskers  and  beard 
had  all  been  carefully  shaved  off  to  give  it  a  feminine 
appearance. 

But  still  the  features  were  too  well-known  to  Jack  for 
him  to  mistake  them  for  an  instant. 

The  man,  disguised  as  a  woman,  and  now  lying  before 
him,  surrounded  by  a  gaping,  curious  crowd,  was  Kemp. 

There  could  be  no  doubt  of  this. 

What  his  object  in  going  to  the  ball  dressed  as  a 
Spanish  lady  could  be  was  at  present  a  mystery. 

There  was  some  horrible  secret  in  his  sufferings  which 
was  awful  to  witness. 

"A  doctor.  Send  for  a  doctor,"  cried  a  man  becoming 
alarmed. 

"I  am  a  physician,"  said  a  gentleman  dressed  as  a 
Cossack,  throwing  aside  his  mask. 

He  knelt  by  the  side  of  Kemp  and  made  an  examina- 
tion. 

"  He  is  dying,"  he  exclaimed  solemnly. 

"What  is  the  matter  with  him  ? "  asked  Jack. 

"He  has  all  the  symptoms  of  arsenical  poisoning." 

At  the  sound  of  Jack's  voice  Kemp  opened  his  glassy 
eyes. 

A  horrible  contraction  passed  over  his  features. 

He  tried  to  speak,  and  his  lips  moved. 

He  beat  the  air  feebly  with  his  hands. 

Jack  knelt  at  his  side,  and,  bending  down,  put  his  ear 
to  his  lips. 

' '  I  am  dying.  O  God,  how  I  suffer  !  I  have  met  the 
fate  I  intended  for  you  ;  how  I  know  not.  You  are 
noble  and  good.  Forgive  a  poor  wretch  who  in  his  last 
moments  asks  you  to  pray  for  him.  There  should  be  no 
anger  in  the  grave.  Pray  for  me.  Pray  for  me." 

These  words  were  gasped  out  painfully  one  after  the 
other,  by  Kemp. 

"I  forgive  you,  freely,"  said  Jack,  "and  will  pray 
silently  to  Heaven  to  pardon  you  all  your  sins." 

Kemp  looked  pleased. 

He  clutched  Jack's  hand  in  a  convulsive  grasp. 

The  death-rattle  was  heard  in  his  throat. 


190  JA  CK  HARK  A  WAY  AT  OXFORD. 

His  limbs  jerked  spasmodically. 

And  then  all  was  over. 

"  Death  is  here,"  said  the  surgeon.  "  Back,  all  of  you. 
Clear  the  place  and  send  to  the  police-station  for  a 
stretcher.  Back,  I  say.  The  mask  is  removed  for  ever." 

Quickly  the  horrified,  startled  crowd  fell  back  and 
sought  the  ball-room,  from  whence  the  strains  of  music 
proceeded  as  if  nothing  had  happened. 

Why  should  sudden  death  stay  the  proceedings  of  the 
night  and  spoil  the  enjoyment  of  the  maskers? 

No  one  knew  who  the  victim  was,  except  Jack ;  and 
what  did  they  care  because  there  was  one  atom  less  in 
the  vast  aggregate  of  humanity  ? 

With  difficulty  Harkaway  removed  his  hand  from  the 
rigid  death-grasp  of  Kemp. 

He  too  stole  away  silently,  leaving  the  doctor  and 
some  of  the  attendants  of  the  theatre  in  charge  of  the 
corpse. 

It  seemed  so  strange  to  speak  of  one  who  was  just 
before  in  the  full  enjoyment  of  health  and  spirits  as  the 
corpse. 

But  so  it  was. 

Kemp,  like  Davis,  had  run  his  brief  career,  affording 
one  more  illustration  of  the  fact  that  virtue,  in  the  long 
*:un,  will  usually  triumph  over  vice. 

Harkaway  had  another  of  his  enemies  wiped  off  the 
slate  of  life  with  the  sponge  of  death. 

Only  Hunston  now  remained  to  worry  him,  and  he 
was  a  fugitive  from  justice. 

The  police  were  actively  searching  for  him,  and  there 
was  a  price  set  upon  his  head. 

Still,  as  Jack  rejoined  the  merry  throng  of  maskers,  he 
puzzled  his  brain  to  think  how  Kemp  had  come  to  his  sad 
and  awful  end. 

Spying  Monday  at  the  end  of  the  room,  he  went  up  to 
him. 

Perhaps  the  black  could  throw  some  light  upon  the 
mystery. 


JACK  HARKA  WAY  AT  OXFORD,  igi 

CHAPTER  LXXXI. 

THE    ELECTION. 

"  MAST'  JACK,  um  look  for  you,"  said  Monday. 

"What  for?"  asked  Jack. 

"  Who  that  lady  um  got  with  you  ?  " 

"There  is  a  mystery  about  that  which  I  will  explain 
presently,  but  why  do  you  want  to  know  ?  " 

"Can't  tell,  sare,  whether  um  do  right  or  wrong,  but 
when  give  um  poke,  did  it  for  good  reason." 

"I  rather  thought  so  at  the  time,  though  I  couldn't 
make  out  what  your  little  game  was,"  replied  Jack. 

"  Um  see  the  lady  put  something  in  um  glass,  and 
Monday  think  of  Buster  and  the  p'ison." 

"  Yes,  go  on,"  said  Jack,  much  interested. 

"Um  give  poke  to  get  at  glasses,  and  um  change  your 
glass  and  put  it  before  the  lady." 

"  By  Jove,  Monday,  old  fellow,"  cried  Jack,  grasping 
his  hand  warmly,  "you  have  saved  my  life  again." 

"Was  it  um  p'ison  in  the  glass,  sare?  " 

"It  was  a  deadly  poison  called  arsenic,  which  causes 
the  utmost  pain  to  those  who  take  it." 

"Why  the  lady  want  p'ison  you,  sare?" 

"It  wasn't  a  lady  at  all.  It  was  Mr.  Kemp,"  replied 
Jack. 

"  Mist'  Kemp  dress  up  like  gal  ?  " 

"Yes." 

"Well,  he  drunk  um  arsenic,  anyhow." 

"Yes,  that  he  did,  sure  enough." 

"  Him  got  um  bellum  ache,  sare,  what  you  say,  stomach 
grubs. " 

"Mully  grubs  you  mean,"  said  Jack;  "yes,  poor  fel- 
fow,  his  troubles  are  over.  He  is  dead." 

"  Dead  !  Hurroosh  !  "  cried  Monday  spinning  round. 
"'Mother  of  um  gone  now,  sare." 

"  You  are  right ;  there  is  only  Hunston  left,  and  I  don't 
fear  him  much,  now  Davis  and  Kemp  are  removed." 

' '  Why  for  you  pity  um  rascals,  sare  ? " 

11 1  can  afford  to  pity  them  now  they  are  gone." 


192  JACK  HA RKA WAY  AT  OXFORD. 

"When  in  Limbi,  sare,  um  kill  um  Pisangs  no  one  feel 
sorry.  We  make  feast  and  do  war-dance." 

"Ah,  but  in  England,  Monday,  we  are  Christians,  and 
our  religion,  as  you  ought  to  know  by  this  time,  tells  us 
to  forgive  our  enemies  and  those  who  spitefully  use  us," 
said  Jack. 

"Very  funny  thing  that,"  said  Monday  shaking  his 
head.  "But  suppose  it  all  right  since  you  say  so,  sare." 

Feeling  sad  and  low-spirited,  Jack  did  not  care  to  re- 
main any  longer  at  the  ball. 

He  went  away,  changed  his  dress,  and  reached  his 
rooms  safely  without  being  proctorised. 

The  remainder  of  the  week  passed  without  any  event 
of  importance. 

An  inquest  was  held  upon  Kemp,  who  was  supposed 
to  have  committed  suicide. 

It  was  revealed  that  the  police  wanted  him  for  various 
things,  amongst  others,  the  bank  robbery,  and  his  sup- 
posed connection  with  the  once  famous  Black  Band. 

His  distress  of  mind  and  nervous  apprehensions  were 
held  sufficient  cause  for  the  rash  act. 

Jack  said  nothing. 

It  was  not  necessary  for  him  to  reveal  his  private  affairs 
to  everybody,  and  as  the  man  was  dead,  he  let  him  be 
buried  without  any  further  scandal. 

After  this,  all  Oxford  was  in  a  state  of  excitement  owing 
to  the  election. 

There  were  three  candidates. 

The  Honourable  Adolphus  Tremaine,  Tory ;  Mr.  Pen- 
tarvon,  Liberal ;  and  Mr.  Isaac  Mole,  Radical. 

The  good  people  of  the  worthy  city  of  Oxford  laughed 
at  Mr.  Mole's  pretensions  but  he  persisted  in  going  to  the 
poll. 

Banners  were  carried  about  with  "Mole  for  Oxford; 
vote  for  Mole ;  Mole  the  people's  candidate.  Plump  fot 
Mole  ;  poll  early  for  the  friend  of  the  people,"  written  on 
them. 

The  nomination  had  been  stormy. 

Rotten  eggs  and  dead  dogs  flew  about  the  hustings, 
and  Mole  was  very  nearly  smothered  with  a  cat  in  a  high 
state  of  putrefaction. 

But  the  election  was  worse. 

The  Honourable  Adolphus  Tremaine  and  Mr,  Mole  not 


JACK  HARKA  WAY  AT  OXFORD.  193 

Having  gained  a  show  of  hands  against  the  Liberal  Can- 
didate, had  demanded  a  poll. 

At  four  o'clock,  as  the  close  of  the  poll  drew  nigh,  the 
excitement  was  intense. 

Knots  of  gownsmen,  evidently  looking  out  for  a  row, 
crowded  about  the  Town  Hall,  and  glared  angrily  at  the 
townspeople  who  returned  their  fierce  looks  with  interest. 

At  five  o'clock  the  result  of  the  poll  was  made  known. 

Mr.  Pentarvon,  Liberal,  was  at  the  head,  with  a  large 
majority  over  the  Honourable  Adolphus  Tremaine. 

Mole  appeared  on  the  list  with  the  miserable  small 
number  of  thirty-seven  votes  after  his  name. 

There  was  a  roar  of  laughter  amongst  the  crowd. 

"  What  do  you  think  of  your  university  professor  now  ?  " 
asked  a  stalwart  butcher  of  Jack,  who  was  with  his  friends 
in  the  middle  of  the  throng. 

Jack's  reply  was  to  knock  the  butcher's  hat  over  his 
eyes. 

"Town,  town  !  "  cried  several  apprentices  on  witness- 
ing this  act. 

"Town,  town  !  "  resounded  on  all  sides. 

"What's  up  !  "  said  a  bargee,  taking  a  short  pipe  out  of 
his  mouth. 

"A  gown's  bonneted  a  town  !  "  was  the  reply. 

"Wire  in  ! "  answered  the  bargee  ;  "  there's  a  score  or 
more  of  me  and  my  mates,  and  we're  on  like  grub  against 
the  gowns." 

"Look  out,  gown,"  roared  Tom  Garden,  who  was  near 
enough  to  hear  this. 

"It's  getting  nasty,"  said  Sir  Sydney  Dawson,  who  had 
hold  of  Harvey's  arm. 

' '  Now,  gown, "  cried  Tom  Garden,  again,  ' '  close  in  near 
me.  Back  one  another  up.  Shoulder  to  shoulder; 
they're  too  many  for  us  singly." 

"  Hurrah  !  "  exclaimed  Harvey.  "Down  with  the  cads." 

The  butcher,  after  blundering  about  in  a  state  of  dark- 
ness, at  length  removed  his  hat  from  his  face. 

"Oo  'it  me  ?  "  he  exclaimed,  purple  with  rage. 

"  I  did,  if  you  want  to  know,"  replied  Jack  ;  "at  least, 
I  knocked  your  hat  over  your  eyes,  which  comes  to  the 
same  thing." 

"  Then  you  done  the  worsest  think  as  ever  you  did  in 
your  life,"  said  the  butcher. 
13 


•94  JA CK  HARKA WAY  AT  OXFORD. 

"  Why  ?  "  Jack  ventured  to  ask. 

"  I've  had  my  knife  into  you  'varsity  gents  this  ever  so 
long,  all  along  of  my  getting  a  black  eye  from  one  of  you 
at  the  fair,  and  it's  nation  odd  if  we  can't  have  a  quiet 
slog  in  at  'lection  time,  without  no  proctors  and  no  cop- 
pers interfering  like." 

"It  seems  to  me,"  remarked  Sir  Sydney,  "that  this 
amounts  to  a  challenge." 

"  Decidedly,"  remarked  Harvey. 

"Single  combat,"  observed  Tom  Garden. 

"Hurroosh  !  "  cried  O'Rafferty.  "This  is  a  little  bit 
of  Donnybrook  Fair,  and  by  my  faith,  I  shouldn't  mind  a 
go-in  myself,  as  I'm  blue  mouldy  for  want  of  a  bathing." 

"  Do  you  want  to  fight  me  single-handed?  "  asked  Jack. 

"That's  my  game,"  replied  the  butcher,  who  was  an 
obstinate,  pig-headed  sort  of  fellow. 

"Well,  I  dare  say  I  can  accommodate  you." 

"You're  no  man  if  you  cry  a  go." 

"Peel!"  replied  Jack,  taking  off  his  coat,  waistcoat, 
and  turning  up  his  shirt-sleeves.  "  I'll  have  a  rough-and- 
tumble  for  the  honour  of  old  Oxford. " 

"  Shall  I  hold  your  things,  Jack?  "  asked  Harvey. 

"If  you  kindly  will,  old  fellow,"  replied  Jack. 

Harvey  placed  them  over  his  arm,  and  the  crowd  fell 
back. 

"Oh,  I  say,"  continued  Jack,  "just  mind  these  two 
rings.  I  had  very  nearly  forgotten  them,  and  I  wouldn't 
take  a  mean  advantage  of  anyone." 

He  removed  his  rings,  and  gave  them  to  Harvey,  who 
put  them  on  his  fingers. 

To  fight  with  rings  on  his  fingers  would  have  been  very 
easy. 

But  Jack  was  above  doing  a  cowardly  action. 

The  bargemen  were  rather  disappointed  at  the  pros- 
pect of  a  fair,  stand-up,  hand-to-hand  fight. 

They  would  have  preferred  a  general  row  all  round. 

"What  have  we  done  that  we  should  be  cut  out  of  it  ?  " 
asked  a  pugnacious  bargee. 

"Don't  alarm  yourself,"  replied  Garden.  "You  shall 
have  your  turn  presently." 

"You  can't  give  me  a  bellyful." 

"If  I  can't  you  must  be  a  glutton  for  punishment,' 
answered  Tom,  with  a  laugh. 


JACK  HARKA  WA  Y  AT  OXFORD.  195 

"Come  on  now,"  said  the  bargee. 

"  Wait  a  bit.  What's  you  hurry  ?  Let  my  friend  polish 
off  the  slaughterer  first,"  replied  Garden. 

"Is  yer  ready  ?  "  asked  the  butcher,  who  had  stripped 
to  his  shirt. 

"Yes,"  replied  Jack. 

"Come  on,  then.  A  fair  field  and  no  favour.  I  ain't 
going  to  koo-too  to  any  'varsity  gent.  I'll  give  you 
pepper." 

"  It  will  be  hot  for  you,  my  gentle  pigsticker,"  answered 
Jack. 

Guarding  well  with  his  right  and  striking  out  with  his 
left,  Jack,  balancing  himself  in  a  springy  manner  on  his 
toes,  inclined  his  body  now  backwards,  now  forwards. 

In  vain  the  butcher  tried  to  get  v/ithin  his  guard. 

Jack  struck  him  on  the  nose,  the  mouth,  the  forehead, 
and  the  eyes,  and  each  "gentle  tap,"  as  Carden  called  it, 
brought  out  a  discoloured  lump,  or,  in  the  language  of 
the  ring,  "a  mouse." 

At  last  the  butcher  grew  desperate,  and  dashing  in  at 
Jack,  closed  with  him. 

The  struggle  was  fearful. 

They  rocked  about  like  pine-trees  in  a  storm  of  wind. 

It  was  Jack's  object  to  make  his  opponent  fall  under- 
most. 

Cleverly  putting  out  his  left  leg,  he  pressed  his  right  arm 
over  the  butcher's  face,  and  by  an  effort  of  sheer  strength, 
forced  him  down. 

The  butcher  fell  like  a  bar  of  iron. 

His  head  and  back,  in  coming  in  contact  with  the  stones, 
made  a  loud  noise. 

Jack  rose  instantly. 

The  butcher,  however,  breathed  heavily,  and  did  not 
move,  though  blood  trickled  slowly  from  his  wounds. 

"  He's  killed  him,  and  it's  a  mortal  shame  !  "  cried  the 
bargee.  "Wire  in,  mates!  We'll  have  it  out  of  them. 
Pick  up  the  butcher  and  carry  him  'ome  some  on  yer." 

There  was  a  threatening  movement  amongst  the 
crowd. 

A  sttirdy  phalanx  surrounded  the  insensible  and  de- 
feated butcher. 

They  took  him  up,  and  the  throng  opened  for  them  to 
carry  him  away. 


196  JACK  'HARK A  WAY  AT  OXFORD. 

Then  it  closed  again  upon  the  little  knot  of  university 
men  with  threatening  gestures  and  loud  threats. 

The  riot  became  general,  and  the  hostility  of  the  towns- 
men was  directed  against  everyone  who  wore  a  gown. 

Jack  was  like  a  man  who  wields  a  sickle  in  a  cornfield. 

He  cleared  a  gap  in  front  of  him  and  pushed  onwards. 

It  seemed  impossible  to  stop  him. 

O'Rafferty  snatched  a  stick  from  a  cattle-drover,  and 
after  the  manner  of  a  warm-hearted,  impulsive  Irishman, 
who  fought  for  the  fun  of  the  thing,  knocked  people  about 
right  and  left,  and  broke  heads  at  his  own  sweet  will. 

"  Hurrah  for  Erin  !  "  he  cried.  "That's  a  knock-down 
blow  for  you,  ye  spalpeen  !  Come  on,  the  next  of  you. 
Ceade  mille  failhe  !  Hundred  thousand  welcomes  to  you. 
How  do  you  like  that?  Bedad  that's  another  for  your 
upper  story  !  Whoop  !  Erin  go  Bragh  !  I'm  the  bhoy 
with  a  yard  of  good  blackthorn.  Whoop  !  " 

Jack's  blows  fell  like  those  of  a  sledge-hammer,  and 
Garden  worked  away  as  mechanically  as  if  he  had  been 
pulling  the  stroke-oar  of  the  university  eight. 

But  the  gownsmen  were  outnumbered. 

It  was  fortunate  for  our  little  band  of  heroes  that  the 
cry  of  "  Police  !  "  was  raised. 

A  strong  body  of  constables  made  the  crowd  run  in 
various  directions. 

They  had  their  truncheons  drawn,  and  would  have 
used  them  if  provoked. 

Superintendent  Manisty  was  at  their  head. 

On  seeing  Jack  covered  with  blood,  for  he  had  not 
escaped  untouched,  he  said — 

"This  won't  do,  Mr.  Harkaway.      It's  against  the  law." 

"Very  sorry,  Manisty  ;  couldn't  help  it,"  replied  Jack, 
"the  roughs  would  have  it." 

"Get  away  to  the  right,  sir,"  continued  Manisty. 
"We  will  keep  the  crowd  back;  the  senior  proctor  and 
his  bull-dogs  are  on  the  left  looking  for  gowns." 

"Thank  you,"  answered  Jack. 

Raising  his  voice,  he  added — 

"  Gown  to  the  right,  quick  !  " 

Making  a  determined  burst,  and  aided  by  the  police, 
the  Oxford  men  forced  their  way  through  and  beat  a 
retreat,  getting  back  to  their  colleges,  through  by-streets, 
as  well  as  they  could. 


JA  CK  HARKA  WAY  AT  OXFORD.  197 

Jack,  on  reaching  his  own  rooms,  found  Monday  look- 
ing very  disconsolate. 

' '  What's  the  matter  ? "  he  inquired. 

"  Missey  Ada  gone,  sare.  Got  a  note  to  say  think  no 
more  of  her,"  replied  Monday. 

The  tears  came  to  the  poor  fellow's  eyes  as  he  spoke. 

"This  is Dawson's  doing,"  said  Jack.  "But  there  may 
yet  be  time  to  save  her." 

"You  do  that  for  me,  sare,"  exclaimed  Monday  joy- 
fully, "and  save  Monday's  life.  He  die  without  um 
pretty  English  girl." 

"  If  I  can  rely  upon  a  conversation  I  overheard,  she 
has  gone  to  Abingdon,"  continued  Jack.  "Silly  child, 
she  doesn't  know  her  danger." 

"  I  make  her  good  husband,  but  she  not  like  um  colour," 
replied  Monday. 

"  Better  be  the  wife  of  an  honest  man  like  you,  Mon- 
day, than "  Jack  broke  off  abruptly. 

"Go  to  the  station  and  wait  for  me  ;  we  will  take  the 
first  train,"  he  added. 

He  was  determined  to  save  La  Favorita  if  possible,  and 
at  the  same  time  to  make  Monday  happy. 


CHAPTER  LXXXII. 

A   NOBLE    DEED. 

THE  journey  between  Oxford  and  Abingdon  was  silent 
if  not  sad. 

Monday  was  too  anxious  to  speak  much,  and  Hark- 
away  amused  himself  by  reading  a  paper  and  smoking 
a  cigar. 

He  had  no  defined  plan  of  action  in  his  mind. 

When  they  reached  Abingdon,  they  put  up  at  a  small 
inn  near  the  station. 

Entering  the  coffee-room,  Jack  ordered  a  rumpsteak 
and  oyster  sauce. 

"  Um  can't  eat  no  steak,  sare,"  said  Monday. 

"Why  not?" 

"Los't  all  um  appetite.  Never  eat  no  more  if  not  find 
Missey  Ada." 


1 98  JA  CK  HA  RKA  WAY  AT  OXFORD. 

"You're  a  flat  then,"  said  Jack,  "for  a  man's  stomach 
is  like  the  tire  of  a  railway  carriage  wheel ;  it  must  be 
well  greased  now  and  then,  or  it  won't  go." 

Monday  shook  his  head  sorrowfully. 

"  No,  sare,"  he  said,  "  it  all  over  with  Monday  if  things 
not  come  right.  How  you  feel,  Mast'  Jack,  if  Missey 
Emily  give  you  cold  shoulder  and  get  other  mans  ? " 

"  I  shouldn't  be  like  a  father  at  a  christening,"  replied 
Jack,  with  a  smile. 

The  coffee-room  in  which  they  were  sitting  was  divided 
into  small  boxes,  with  high  wooden  partitions. 

These  somewhat  resembled  the  old-fashioned  pews  in 
some  country  churches. 

Jack  and  Monday  were  situated  at  the  end  of  the  room, 
rather  in  the  shadow. 

They  could  see  everyone  who  came  in,  without  being 
seen  themselves. 

Just  as  Monday  had  finished  speaking,  a  lady  and 
gentleman  entered. 

Monday  was  about  to  spring  from  his  seat,  but  Jack, 
seizing  his  arm,  restrained  him. 

"Are  you  mad  ?     Sit  still,"  he  whispered. 

Monday  controlled  himself  with  a  great  effort. 

It  was  hard  to  be  quiet,  for  he  had  seen  the  girl  he 
loved  with  all  the  passion  of  a  first  affection,  springing 
from  a  pure  and  noble  nature. 

She  was  hanging  tremblingly  upon  the  arm  of  Sir  Sydney 
Dawson. 

As  luck  would  have  it,  they  took  up  their  position  in 
the  box  next  to  Jack. 

All  they  said  could  be  heard. 

"  Waiter,"  said  Sir  Sydney. 

"Sir?" 

"Can  we  have  a  private  room  ?  " 

"No,  sir;  very  sorry,  sir,"  said  the  waiter.  "All 
engaged." 

"Ah  1  never  mind.  Order  a  bedroom  to  be  got  ready. 
This  young  lady  is  my  sister,  and  she  will  sleep  here  to- 
night. " 

"Very  good,  sir." 

"And,  I  say,  waiter,  bring  me  a  pint  of  dry  sherry  and 
some  biscuits." 

The  waiter  departed,  and  Sir  Sydney  continued — 


JA  CK  HA  RKA  WAY  AT  OXFORD.  199 

"  You  must  stay  here  to-night  Favorita ;  to-morrow  I 
will  come  over  from  Oxford  early,  and  take  apartments 
for  you." 

"  Oh,"  said  Ada,  "  I  wish  I  had  never  left  the  shop.  I 
do  feel  so  dreadfully  wicked." 

"Nonsense,  my  child  ;  I  have  promised  to  marry  you 
when  I  come  of  age  in  a  month  or  two.  Will  not  that 
satisfy  you  ? " 

"Why  not  at  once ?  " 

"I  can  not.  I  am  not  my  own  master,  and  should  of- 
fend my  guardian." 

"Oh,  do  let  me  go  back.  It  is  not  yet  too  late,"  she 
pleaded. 

"Certainly  not;  you  are  only  a  little  nervous,"  he 
said.  "Besides,  you  have  gone  too  far  to  repent;  re- 
member you  wrote  a  letter  to  your  employer,  saying  you 
were  going  to  be  married,  and  we  have  been  seen  to- 
gether." 

Ada  sobbed  as  if  her  heart  would  break. 

"  Where  is  your  love  for  me?"  asked  Dawson,  much 
annoyed. 

"I  am  so  frightened,"  she  answered. 

"What  at?" 

"Being  alone  and  in  your  power." 

"As  if  I  would  harm  you.  My  love  shall  shield  you 
from  all  evil.  In  Scotland,  it  is  only  necessary  for  people 
to  live  together  as  man  and  wife  to  constitute  a  marriage. 
Let  us  fancy  ourselves  across  the  border." 

"  If  you  would  make  me  your  wife  at  once,  I  should 
be  happier,"  she  urged. 

"How  can  I?  Be  reasonable,  my  Favorita.  Do  you 
want  to  ruin  me  ? " 

"  Let  me  go  back  to  the  shop  until  you  can." 

"They  won't  have  you  now." 

"Then  I  can  go  to  my  friends.  My  father  will  keep 
me,  and  my  mother  and  brothers  love  me  !  Oh,  if  you 
were  to  deceive  me,  what  misery  I  should  bring  into  our 
happy  home.  Father  would  never  live  to  hear  my 
shame. " 

"For  goodness' sake,  don't  make  a  scene,"  said  Sir 
Sydney,  testily.  "  Here  is  the  waiter  with  the  wine." 

There  was  silence  for  a  time. 

When  the  wine  was  placed  on  the   table,   and   they 


200  JA  CK  HARK  A  WAY  AT  OXFORD. 

fancied  themselves  alone,  the  baronet  resumed:  "You 
will  be  Lady  Dawson,  my  pet ;  think  of  that" 

' '  Can  I  trust  you  ?  "  she  asked. 

"Of  course  you  can." 

"I  have  heard  of  so  many  girls  in  Oxford  being  cruelly 
deceived  by  university  gentlemen." 

"There  may  be  scamps  up  at  Oxford,"  said  Sir  Sydney  ; 
"but  you  ought  to  know  me  too  well  by  this  time,  my 
dear  girl,  to  class  me  amongst  them." 

"Sydney,  you  love  me — you  have  said  so,"  she  said, 
quickly  and  earnestly.  "  If  you  do  love  me  truly,  yield 
to  my  prayer,  and  let  me  go  to-night  by  the  train  to 
Reading,  where  my  parents  live.  You  can  come  there 
and  visit  me  ;  they  are  poor  and  humble,  but  honest  and 
respectable." 

This  didn't  suit  Dawson  at  all. 

He  would  have  loved  the  girl  for  a  month  or  two  in  his 
own  selfish  manner. 

Then  he  would  have  cast  her  off,  as  one  throws  away 
an  old  glove. 

There  was  no  thought  of  an  honourable  marriage  in  his 
mind. 

He  had  a  sort  of  horror  of  parents  and  brothers. 

"No,"  he  said,  decisively;  "the  die  is  cast.  You 
have  put  yourself  in  my  hands,  Favorita,  and  you  must 
do  as  I  wish  and  tell  you." 

"  Oh,  Sydney,  have  you  no  mercy  ?  "  she  sobbed. 

"I  must  be  cruel  to  be  kind.     It  is  for  your  good." 

"Well,  well,"  she  said,  despairingly,  "may  Heaven 
deal  with  you,  as  you  do  with  me.  I  am  poor,  helpless, 
friendless.  I  can  not  resist  you.  Oh,  if  I  had  anyone  to 
save  me  from  my  folly,  while  there  is  yet  time." 

"You  have  no  one,"  said  Sydney,  in  a  tone  of  triumph. 
"Lean  your  head  on  my  arm,  and  let  me  wipe  away 
those  naughty  tears." 

Jack  released  his  hold  on  Monday's  arm. 

"Now,"  he  said,  quietly. 

Monday  sprang  up  like  a  wild  beast  from  its  lair,  ap- 
pearing before  the  astonished  pair  like  a  spirit  fallen  from 
the  clouds,  or  sprung  from  the  earth.  He  exclaimed — 

"  Missey  Ada,  you  say  you  got  no  friend.  Monday 
your  friend.  He  take  you  home  to  fader,  moder,  and  save 
you  from  ruin." 


JA  CK  HA  RKA  WAY  AT  OXFORD.  aoi 

Ada  looked  thankfully  at  him. 

"Matabella,"  she  replied,  for  she  had  learnt  to  call  him 
by  his  kingly  name,  "  I  thank  Heaven  you  have  come." 

Sir  Sydney  Dawson's  handsome  features  were  distorted 
with  rage.  Rising  to  his  feet,  he  said — 

"Ada,  my  child,  what  can  you  and  this  black  scum 
have  in  common  ?  " 

"  He's  my  friend,"  she  answered. 

"  I'll  throw  him  out  of  the  window  ;  how  dare  he  come 
here  and  act  like  a  spy  upon  me  ?  "  cried  Sir  Sydney. 

' '  No  do  that,  sare, "  replied  Monday,  drawing  himself  up 
to  his  full  height,  in  all  the  pride  of  his  youthful  strength  ; 
"me  able  to  fight.  Two  can  play  at  throw  from 
window. " 

"You  vagabond,"  answered  Sir  Sydney;  "be  off,  or 
VII  make  you  repent  this." 

Jack  now  appeared  upon  the  scene. 

Sir  Sydney  was  petrified  with  surprise. 


CHAPTER  LXXXIIL 

MONDAY  IS  HAPPY. 

"You  here  tu">,  Harkaway  !  "  said  the  baronet  j  "but 
I  might  have  expected  that  you  would  not  be  far  off, 
when  your  black  bully  made  his  appearance." 

"You  will  pardon  me,"  answered  Jack  in  a  gentle- 
manly tone,  "  if  I  beg  you  to  speak  more  respectfully  of 
Monday." 

"What? — speak  respectfully  of  a  servant !  "  said  Daw- 
son,  with  a  sneer. 

"  Monday  is  my  friend." 

"A  nice  sort  of  a  friend  to  have,  certainly." 

"  Why  not  ? — he  is  a  king  in  his  own  country,"  answered 
Jack. 

"Pity  he  did  not  stop  there.  He  is  only  fit  to  be  a 
crossing-sweeper  over  here." 

"Let  me  tell  you,"  said  Jack,  "that  he  can  trace  his 
descent  for  centuries,  from  a  long  line  of  distinguished 
ancestors." 


292  JACK  HA  RKA  WAY  AT  OXFORD. 

"Who  made  graves  for  their  enemies  in  their  own 
stomachs,"  replied  Dawson,  "the  cannibals." 

"They  have  not  enjoyed  the  same  advantage  of  civil- 
isation that  you  have/'  answered  Jack,  "  but  I  will  vent- 
ure to  say  that  there  is  not  a  man  in  the  island  of  Limbi 
so  base  as  to  attempt  to  destroy  the  happiness  and  ruin 
the  honour  of  a  poor,  confiding,  silly  girl. " 

"  Who  can  say  that  of  me  ?  "  asked  Sir  Sydney,  fiercely. 

"  I  did  not  accuse  you,  but  cai.  your  conscience  acquit 
you  ?  " 

"  Of  what  ?  " 

' '  Of  deceiving  this  poor  girl. " 

Jack  pointed  to  Ada  as  he  spoke. 

"I  think  it  would  be  very  much  more  becoming  in 
you  to  mind  your  own  business." 

"  It  is  my  business,  since  I  have  made  it  so,"  replied 
Jack.  "  Monday  loves  Ada.  He  is  my  friend.  I  have 
by  accident  arrived  upon  the  scene  at  a  most  critical 
moment  in  her  fate." 

' '  Well,  what  do  you  want  to  do  ? " 

"Let  me  ask  her  a  question." 

"  A  dozen  if  you  like,"  said  Sir  Sydney,  with  a  reckless 
laugh. 

"  My  dear  girl, "  said  Jack,  tenderly,  "would  you  like 
to  return  to  your  friends  at  Reading  to-night  with  King 
Matabella  ?  " 

"Yes." 

"You  hear  that ? "  cried  Jack. 

"She  does  not  know  her  own  mind,"  growled  Sir 
Sydney. 

Monday  placed  his  arm  round  Ada's  waist,  and  drew 
her  up  close  to  his  side. 

She  did  not  resent  this  liberty. 

"  Go  away  both  of  you,"  said  Dawson.  "Tell  him 
to  let  go  the  Favorita's  waist,  or  I  shall  do  something  des- 
perate to  him." 

"You  must  not  threaten  us,"  Jack  replied,  with  the 
confidence  of  conviction  ;  "we  are  two  to  one." 

"Am  I  to  see  the  girl  carried  off  before  my  eyes?" 
asked  Dawson. 
•  "Yes,"  replied  Jack. 

"How  do  I  know  that  your  intentions  are  honour- 
able?" 


JA  CK  HARKA  WAY  AT  OXFORD.  2*3 

"You  can  come  with  me  to  her  family  at  Reading,  if 
you  like,"  said  Jack. 

Sir  Sydney  bit  his  lips  till  the  blood  came. 

His  countenance  assumed  a  cadaverous  hue. 

Suddenly  he  fell  down  on  the  floor  in  a  fit,  foaming  at 
the  mouth  and  clutching  the  empty  air  wildly  with  his 
hands. 

Jack  rang  the  bell. 

' '  Waiter  !  "  he  said,  ' '  see  to  this  gentleman  ;  he  is  ill. " 

The  waiter  instantly  busied  himself  with  Sir  Sydney, 
and  Jack  went  to  the  bar  and  paid  for  all  that  had  been 
ordered,  and  left  the  hotel,  assisting  to  support  Ada,  who 
was  in  a  half-fainting  condition. 

They  went  to  the  station,  where  they  caught  a  train 
for  Reading,  and  enjoyed  a  carriage  to  themselves. 

"Talk  to  her,  Monday,"  whispered  Jack,  "and  see  if 
she  loves  you." 

For  a  short  time  Monday  and  Ada  were  in  close  con- 
versation. 

Then  Monday  uttered  a  cry  like  a  war-whoop. 

"It  am  come  all  right,  sare.  Missey  Ada  say  she  not 
really  care  for  Sir  Sydney,  and  she  will  be  my  little  wife/' 
he  said. 

"I  congratulate  you,  Monday,"  answered  Jack. 

In  half  an  hour  more  they  arrived  at  the  house  of  John 
Radford,  plumber  and  glazier,  who  was  Ada's  father. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Radford  and  their  two  sons  received 
their  daughter  and  her  companions  with  that  unstudied 
civility  which  contrasts  so  favourably  with  the  stuck-up 
ceremony  of  many  in  a  higher  position. 

They  were  not  prejudiced  against  Monday  on  account 
of  his  dark  skin. 

It  was  enough  for  them  that  he  was  the  man  of  Ada's 
choice. 

Mrs.  Radford  even  went  so  far  as  to  say — "Well,  for 
a  coloured  gentleman,  he's  very  handsome  and  quite  nice- 
mannered,  though  I  think  Ada's  been  a  little  sly  in  telling 
us  nothing  about  her  engagement  to  the  last " 

They  did  not  know  all. 

Nor  was  it  advisable  they  should. 

When  Monday  left  the  comfortable  and  happy  cottage 
of  John  Radford,  if  was  as  the  accepted  lover  of  Ada. 

When  they  reached  the  quad  of  St.    Aldate's  rather  late 


204  JA  CK  HARK  A  WAY  AT  OXFORD. 

at   night,   they   heard  that  Sir  Sydney   Dawson  had  re- 
turned from  Abingdon  like  a  madman. 

He  had  broken  into  a  freshman's  rooms,  and  taking  out 
all  his  furniture,  piled  it  up  in  a  heap  in  the  quad  before 
anyone  could  stop  him. 

Then  he  set  fire  to  it,  and  danced  round  it  wildly,  tell- 
ing the  men  who  were  looking  on  at  his  eccentric 
gambols  that  he  was  burning  Harkaway. 

The  dean  made  his  appearance  when  the  bonfire  was 
at  its  height. 

"Who  has  done  this  ?"  he  inquired  sternly. 

"It's  my  fire,"  answered  Sir  Sydney.  "  I'm  cold,  and 
it  seemed  to  me  a  good  opportunity  to  burn  Harkaway." 

"You  are  intoxicated,  sir,"  replied  the  dean,  angrily. 
"I  shall  send  for  you  to-morrow  morning." 

Sir  Sydney  was  induced  to  go  to  bed  where  he  soon 
fell  into  a  profound  slumber. 

The  next  day  he  had  to  go  to  the  Dean  of  St.  Aldate's. 

For  some  time  past  the  dons  had  been  very  tolerant  of 
the  vagaries  of  the  members  of  the  college. 

Now  they  determined  to  make  an  example. 

Sir  Sydney  Dawson  was  rusticated,  or  sent  away  from 
the  college  for  two  years. 

He  never  took  up  his  residence  there  again  ;  but  going 
up  to  London,  became  one  of  the  fastest  men  about 
town,  and  speedily  ran  through  a  handsome  fortune. 

Jack  did  not  feel  sorry  for  him. 

Sir  Sydney  was  only  one  of  the  many  examples  of 
what  living  in  the  fast  set,  as  it  is  called,  will  reduce  a 
man  to  in  time. 

The  time  for  the  examination  came  at  last. 

It  was  with  a  throbbing  heart,  but  a  cool  head,  that 
Jack  went  with  many  others  into  the  schools. 


JA  CK  HARK  A  WAY  AT  OXFORD.  205 


CHAPTER  LXXXIV. 

THE   CLASS     LIST. 

ALL  the  time  that  the  examination  in  different  subjects 
Tasted,  the  greatest  excitement  reigned  amongst  the 
reading  men. 

Franklin  and  Harkaway  were  considered  as  the  repre- 
sentatives of  St.  Aldate's. 

It  was  admitted  they  stood  the  best  chance. 

But  there  were  many  men  from  other  colleges  who  had 
been  burning  the  midnight  oil  for  many  weary  months. 

There  were  men  also  who  had  been  diligently  cram- 
ming with  private  tutors. 

Who  could  say  which  would  come  out  first  ? 

Mr.  Mole  was  a  constant  visitor  at  Jack's  room,  and 
gave  him  little  confidential  tips  and  wrinkles. 

Mole  was  a  good  scholar,  and  Jack  found  his  help  very 
useful. 

When  the  examination  was  over,  Jack  became  nervous 
and  anxious. 

His  brain  had  been  kept  for  some  time  on  the  stretch. 

The  next  day  the  list  would  be  posted  outside  the 
schools. 

Day  big  with  the  fate  of  trembling  undergraduates  ! 

In  the  evening,  Harvey,  Mr.  Mole  and  Garden,  came 
to  talk  to  and  cheer  him  up. 

O'Rafferty  also  dropped  in. 

He  too  had  been  up  for  his  bachelor's  and  he  was 
anxious  as  to  the  result,  though  he  did  not  show  it. 

"Another  of  my  pupils,"  said  Mr.  Mole;  "and  how 
have  you  fared  with  the  examiners  ? " 

"Oh,  splendiferous,"  answered  O'Rafferty;  "they 
couldn't  puzzle  me.  Putting  me  on  in  scripture  history, 
they  asked  why  Cain  didn't  spare  his  brother." 

"  What  did  you  say?  "  inquired  Mr.  Mole. 

"  Because  he  wasn't  '  able.'" 

"This  flippancy  will  do  you  no  good.  I  wish  young 
men  were  as  steady  in  these  days  as  they  were  in  mine," 
sighed  Mr.  Mole. 


206  JA  CK  HARK  A  WAY  AT  OXFORD. 

"  Me  dear  sir,"  said  O'Rafferty,  "you  belong  to  a  past 
age." 

"And  you  belong  to  a  fast  one,"  said  Mole. 

"Bravo,  that's  one  for  you,  sir,"  exclaimed  Jack. 

"If  I'm  stumped,  it's  through  having  a  bad  coach," 
observed  O'Rafferty. 

"Sir,  that  remark  is  a  reflection  upon  me,"  replied  Mr. 
Mole.  "If  you  do  not  withdraw  it,  I  will  give  you  a 
thrashing." 

' '  At  what  ?  " 

"  Cards,"  said  Mr.  Mole,  blandly.  "I  think,  as  your 
labours  are  over,  Harkaway,  we  may  indulge  in  a  mild 
game  of  loo,  limited  to  four  and  sixpence." 

"As  you  like,"  replied  Harkaway.  "But  what  about 
your  wife  ? " 

"What  of  her?" 

"  Suppose  she  comes  after  you." 

"  No  matter,  I  am  Julius  Caesar.  She  has  had  a  lesson 
or  two  lately,  and  I  defy  her. " 

At  this  moment  the  door  was  pushed  gently  open. 

Ambonia  appeared. 

"  Isaac  !  "  she  said. 

"Yes,  my  dear,  I'm  coming;  didn't  mean  to  stop  so 
late,"  he  said  in  confusion,  as  he  fumbled  for  his  hat  in 
a  corner. 

"  Good-night,  Julius,"  said  Jack,  laughing. 

"Bye-bye,  Caesar,  old  boy,"  exclaimed  Harvey. 

"Ta,  ta,  Mole;  be  a  good  child,"  cried  Tom  Garden. 

"  Oh  !  be  jabers,"  cried  O'Rafferty,  "he's  under  orders 
for  foreign  service  ;  he's  got  the  route. " 

Ambonia  said  nothing  to  anyone,  for  she  had  come  to 
consider  all  her  husbands  friends  as  her  natural  enemies. 

Seizing  the  unresisting  Mole  by  the  arm,  she  led  him  off 
in  triumph,  and  pinched  him  black  and  blue  all  the  way 
down  the  staircase,  till  he  yelled  with  pain. 

The  next  day  Buster  called  his   master  early,  and  at 
breakfast-time  Jack  and  Harvey,  who  came  out  of  chapel 
together,  tried  to  do  justice  to  a  very  "decent  spread,"  as 
the  latter  called  it. 
Jack,  however,  could  not  eat. 

Will  you  go  to  the  schools  for  me,  and  look  at  the 
"  he  *a:d.      ' '  I  haven't  the  pluck  " 
Ii  go  and  see,"  said  Harvey. 


JA CK  HARKA  WAY  AT  OXFORD.  207 

There  was  Mr.  Mole,  Garden,  O'Rafferty  and  several 
others. 

Half  an  hour  had  elapsed. 

Harvey  rushed  into  the  room. 

Everyone  regarded  him  with  anxiety. 

Jack  turned  very  pale. 

This  sort  of  thing  was  different  from  rowing  a  race  or 
playing  a  game  at  cricket. 

In  that  line  of  country  he  knew  pretty  well  what  he 
could  do. 

Mr.  Mole  was  the  first  to  speak. 

"Harvey,"  he  exclaimed,  "what  news?  Is  the  list 
out  ?  Who  is " 

"Harkaway's  taken  a  double  first,  and  he  heads  the 
list,"  answered  Harvey. 

Jack  felt  fainter  still  at  hearing  this. 

Harvey  took  off  his  hat  and  waved  it  in  the  air. 

"  Three  times  three  !  "  he  cried.  "Give  him  a  cheer  ; 
he  deserves  it." 

A  loud,  hearty  English  cheer  broke  out,  and  rang  through 
the  room. 

Friends  came  round  Jack  and  shook  him  by  the  hand. 

Mr.  Mole  approached,  and  said — "  My  dear  boy — for 
I  must  call  you  that,  as  you  are  still  young,  and  have 
been  my  pupil  and  companion  so  many  years " 

"Call  me  what  you  like,"  answered  Jack. 

"You  are  an  honour  to  the  university.  I  know  you 
think  me  a  poor,  silly,  hen-pecked  old  man,  but  my  head 
is  still  clear,  Harkaway,  and  I  tell  you  that  you  are  an 
honour  to  Oxford." 

A  happy  calm  stole  over  Jack's  features. 

He  had  not  worked  in  vain. 


2  o8  JA  CK  HARK  A  WAY  AT  OXFORD. 


CHAPTER  LXXXV. 
HUNSTON'S  DREAM. 

WHEN  the  enthusiastic  congratulations  which  over- 
whelmed Jack  were  over,  O'Rafferty  said — 

"And,  plase,  where  may  my  name  be?  " 

"Nowhere,"  answered  Harvey, 

"By  the  bones  of  St.  Patrick,  it's  joking  you  are." 

"I  didn't  see  it,  I  give  you  my  word." 

"  It's  like  the  luck  of  the  O'Raffertys  ;  their  merits  are 
never  properly  appreciated  out  of  their  own  swate 
country,"  philosophically  answered  O'Rafferty. 

"  You'll  excuse  me,  you  fellows,  I  know,"  said  Jack. 

"Going  out  ?  "  asked  Harvey. 

"  Yes,  I  want  to  send  a  brace  of  telegrams." 

Putting  on  his  hat,  he  went  to  the  telegraph  office,  and 
when  in  the  street  he  began  to  whistle,  he  was  so  happy. 
While  with  his  friends  he  did  not  like  to  show  his  joy, 
but  alone  his  delight  knew  no  bounds. 

His  first  telegram  was  to  his  father,  to  whom  he  said — 

"Glad  to  tell  you  I  have  taken  a  double  first,  and  head 
the  class  list.  Look  in  to-morrow's  Times.  Love  to 
mother." 

The  second  was  to  Emily,  and  nearly  in  the  same 
words,  though  he  added — "  We  shall  soon  be  happy  now, 
my  own,  as  I  shall  leave  Oxford  at  the  end  of  the  term, 
and  then  you  have  only  to  name  the  day." 

As  he  was  leaving  the  telegraph  office,  he  met  the 
superintendent  of  the  Oxford  police. 

"Good-day,  Mr.  Harkaway.  I  was  just  coming  up  to 
you.  Beg  to  congratulate  you." 

"About  what?  "  asked  Jack  modestly,  affecting  to  mis- 
understand him. 

"Your  success  in  the  schools." 

"  When  did  you  hear  it  ?  " 

"Oh,  it's  always  put  about  directly,  and  by  this  time 
it. is  known  all  over  Oxford." 

"Thank  you,  Manisty,"  replied  Jack;  "  I  did  my  best. 


JA  CK  HARK  A  WAY  AT  OXFORD.  2  09 

My  maxim  is  this,  if  a  thing  is  worth  doing  at  all,  it  is 
worth  doing  well." 

"  May  I  offer  you  a  glass  of  wine,  sir  ?  "  he  said. 

"1  will  accept  one  with  pleasure  ;  but  why  were  you 
coming  up  to  me  ?  " 

"I'll  tell  you  presently,"  answered  Manisty. 

They  turned  into  the  "  Mitre,"  and  the  superintendent 
ordered  two  glasses  of  sherry. 

"Now,  sir,"  he  said,  "I  am  going  to  surprise  you." 

"  Fire  away,"  replied  Jack  ;  "I  like  a  little  excitement 
now  and  then." 

"You  know  a  price  has  been  set  on  Hunston  ? " 

"A  reward  of  fifty  pounds,  isn't  it  ?  " 

"Exactly;  and  I  have  received  information  from  the 
London  police,  which  I  am  disposed  to  act  upon." 

"What  is  it?" 

"My  telegram  from  Scotland  Yard  describes  a  man 
who  answers  Hunston's  description  to  a  T." 

"Is  he  in  London  ? " 

"Yes,"  replied  Manisty.  "The  fellow,  if  he  is  Hun- 
ston, is  living  in  a  low  part  of  Shadwell,  waiting  to  get 
off  in  a  ship  now  loading  in  the  docks." 

"Where  is  she  bound ?  "  asked  Jack. 

"That  I  do  not  know;  details  are  wanting.  What  I 
want  to  ask  you  is  this,  will  you  come  with  me  to  identify 
this  Hunston, as  you  know  him  better  than  anyone  else  ?  " 

"Well,"  said  Jack,  "it's  a  nasty  sort  of  business.  I  don't 
half  like  turning  policeman.  No  offence  to  you, Manisty." 

"Certainly  not,  sir;  you  are  a  gentleman  and  I  am  a 
thief-taker;  every  man  to  his  trade." 

"  On  consideration,  I  think  I  shall  be  furthering  the 
ends  of  justice  if  I  go  with  you,"  said  Jack. 

' '  And  more  than  that ;  if  he  gets  fifteen  years  or  be- 
comes a  'lifer,'  you  will  be  rid  of  a  dangerous  and  sleep- 
less enemy,  who,  from  what  I  know  of  recent  events  in 
your  history,  Mr.  Harkaway,  has  done  you  as  much  harm 
as  one  man  can  do  another." 

''Qu'te  rig-lit,"  replied  Jack,  thinking  of  the  cave  ;  he 
deserves  no  mercy  at  my  hands.  When  do  you  start  ?  " 

"This  afternoon,  by  the  2:30  " 

"Very  well.  I  will  order  my  scout  to  pack  my  bag-, 
get  leave,  and  meet  you  at  the  station." 

"That's  settled!  good-bye,  sir,    for  the  present,"  said 

'4 


210  JA  CK  HARK  A  WAY  AT  OXFORD. 

Manisty.  "  I  must  run  now,  as  I  have  a  lot  of  things  to 
do  between  this  and  then. " 

We  will  leave  Harkaway  and  Manisty  to  travel  to  Lon- 
don, to  act  upon  the  information  received  from  the  Lon- 
don police,  and  visit  Hunston  in  his  lair. 

We  can  call  it  nothing  else  than  a  lair,  for  it  was  a 
veritable  den. 

He  had  sought  the  lowest  part  of  the  river  side  below 
Wapping,  amongst  foreign  sailors  and  abandoned  women, 
thieves  and  wretches  of  every  description. 

The  police  were  after  him. 

He  had  heard  of  the  reward  offered  for  him,  and  feared 
that  he  would  be  severely  punished  if  caught. 

Death  was  preferable  to  penal  servitude  to  a  man  like 
Hunston. 

He  intended  to  get  away  to  some  foreign  country  with 
his  plunder. 

This  he  kept  sewn  up  in  the  lining  of  his  waistcoat. 

It  amounted  to  several  thousand  pounds. 

So  it  was  not  from  necessity  that  he  lived  in  filth  and 
squalor. 

On  the  evening  of  the  day  when  Harkaway  and  Manisty 
left  Oxford  to  look  for  him,  Hunston  was  low  and  nervous. 

His  instinct  warned  him  of  approaching  danger. 

He  had  been  feverish  and  restless  all  day. 

Towards  four  o'clock  he  went  to  a  cookshop  and  had  a 
sixpenny  plate  of  meat. 

Returning  to  his  room — for  he  had  only  one — he  threw 
himself  on  the  dirty  bed  and  smoked  a  short  clay  pipe. 

That  night  at  half-past  seven  o'clock  a  ship  was  to  sail 
for  Spain. 

In  her  he  had  taken  a  passage. 

He  selected  Spain  as  a  country  to  stay  in  for  a  while, 
because  there  is  no  extradition  treaty  between  the  English 
and  the  Spaniards. 

After  a  time  the  pipe  slipped  from  Hunston's  hand,  and 
he  fell  asleep. 

He  had  a  dream. 

His  wandering  mind  called  him  to  the  island  where  he 
had  been  wrecked  with  Mr.  Mole,  Harvey,  Jack,  and 
Maple. 

The  poor  unfortunate  boy,  who  had  become  bad  owing 
to  Hunston's  evil  example. 


JA  CK  HARKA  WA  Y  AT  OXFORD.  2 1 1 

He  fancied  he  was  standing  by  his  grave. 

That  grave  which  Jack  had  ornamented  with  a  tiny 
wooden  cross. 

He  thought  he  saw  the  little  fellow  lying  still  and  cold 
on  the  ground  just  as  he  was  when  the  Pisangs  killed 
him. 

Suddenly  Maple  rose  up  and,  in  a  sepulchral  voice,  said 
to  Hunston — 

"You  have  brought  me  to  this — your  turn  will  come 
next." 

Then  an  old  man  came  by,  and,  looking  at  the  corpse, 
raised  his  arm  threateningly  against  Hunston. 

After  him  came  a  troop  of  brothers  and  sisters. 

Last  of  all  passed  the  mother,  and  she  cried  to  heaven 
for  vengeance. 

A  cold  sweat  broke  out  all  over  Hunston. 

He  trembled  violently  and  woke. 

Looking  at  his  watch,  he  saw  it  was  half-past  six. 

"  By  Jove  !  "  he  exclaimed,  "it's  lucky  I  woke — what 
on  earth  made  me  go  to  roost  ? — in  three-quarters  of  an 
hour  the  ship  leaves  the  dock.  I  should  have  lost  my 
passage. " 

He  dashed  his  hand  over  his  clammy  brow. 

"What  a  dream  !'' he  cried.  "Poor  Maple!  but  he 
was  always  a  little  humbug. " 

Opening  the  window  he  looked  out. 

The  house  he  inhabited  was  built  on  the  side  of  a  creek, 
and  water  ran  between  it  and  the  houses  on  the  other  side. 

Barges  came  up  to  various  docks  and  yards  when  the 
tide  was  full,  which  it  was  at  the  moment 

A  window  at  a  house  opposite  opened  as  he  was  look- 
ing out. 

A  man  appeared  at  it 

"You  have  not  wanted  me  yet,  old  pal,"  said  the  man. 

"No,"  replied  Hunston,  "but  there  is  no  telling  ;  per- 
haps I  may.  Look  out" 

"  I'm  always  on  the  watch,"  was  the  answer. 

The  distance  between  the  two  houses  was  probably 
thirty  feet  or  thereabouts. 

The  height  of  Hunston's  window  from  the  water,  about 
fifteen. 

It  was  necessary  to  be  precise,  in  order  to  make  what 
follows  intelligible. 


212  JACK  HARK  A  WAY  AT  OXFORD. 

Just  as  he  had  finished  speaking,  there  was  a  noise  at 
the  door. 

It  was  locked. 

"  Opsler  ownder  elowber,"  said  a  voice. 

"Slops  down  below,"  repeated  Hunston  to  himself; 
"  that  means  police  ;  they  are  after  me.  I  have  no  time 
to  lose." 

He  became  very  pale  and  trembled  in  every  limb. 


CHAPTER    LXXXVI. 

MR.   MOLE  AND  HIS  BETTER   HALF. 

THE  delight  of  Mole,  at  hearing  his  old  pupil,  Jack  Hark- 
away,  had  taken  a  double  first  was  extreme. 

He  drank  glass  after  glass  of  wine.  He  shouted  hurrah 
till  he  was  hoarse. 

Then  he  leaped  to  his  feet,  and  danced  a  break-down 
on  the  hearthrug. 

"  Hip,  hip,  hurrah  !  Three  cheers  for  Harkaway,  three 
cheers  for  my  old  pupil,"  cried  Mr.  Mole,  swaying  back- 
wards and  forwards  to  the  imminent  danger  of  the  orna- 
ments on  the  mantel  shelf. 

"Sure,  an'  it's  a  fine  row  ye  are  making,"  said  O'Raf- 
ferty.  "  Be  quiet,  you  stupid  old  fool,  and  don't  be  after 
wearing  all  the  colour  out  of  the  hearthrug,  while  its 
owner  is  out  of  the  way." 

"Sir, "said  Mr.  Mole,  balancing  himself  on  one  leg, 
and  glaring  at  O'Rafferty,  "who  do  you  call  an  old  fool." 

"  Why  you  to  be  sure,"  replied  the  young  Irishman. 

"This  to  me,  Isaac  Mole,"  cried  the  indignant  coach, 
"  I'll  not  stand  it— I'll " 

Mr.  Mole  forgetting  that  he  was  balancing  himself  on 
one  leg,  essayed  to  take  a  step  without  placing  down  the 
one  he  had  raised,  and  fell  all  of  a  heap  into  the  fender. 

Such  a  clatter  he  made  as  he  sent  the  tongs  one  way, 
the  shovel  another,  and  the  poker  springing  into  the  mid- 
dle of  the  room. 

Mr.  Mole  threw  his  legs  on  to  the  hearthrug  with  some 
difficulty. 


JA  CK  HARK  A  WAY  AT  OXFORD.  2  1 3 

Neither  O'Rafferty,  Garden,  or  Harvey  could  assist  him 
to  his  feet  for  laughing. 

"I  wish  Jack  was  here  to  see  him,"  said  Harvey. 

"Get  up,"  cried  O'Rafferty.  "What  do  you  want  to 
be  kicking  like  a  blackbeetle  for.  Blue  Murder,  but  it's 
burnt  you'll  be  if  you  stay  there  much  longer." 

At  this  moment  a  hot  coal  fell  out  of  the  fire  on  to 
Mole's  hair. 

In  a  moment  it  was  in  a  blaze. 

"Murder,  fire!"  cried  Mole,  springing  to  his  feet 
"  Put  me  out,  put  me  out." 

Garden  rubbed  his  hands  over  Mole's  hair,  and  extin- 
guished the  flames. 

"I'll  put  you  out,  you  good-for-nothing  bad  man,  "cried 
a  voice,  and  Ambonia,  flushed  with  rage,  entered  the 
room. 

The  sound  of  that  voice  seemed  to  partially  sober  Mole. 

His  face  turned  white. 

"What  you  get  drunk  again  for  ?  "  shrieked  Ambonia ; 
"  look  at  your  hair." 

Mr.  Mole  looked  from  one  to  another  and  finally  rested 
his  bleared  eyes  on  his  dusky  wife. 

"You  good-for-nothing,  bad  man,"  cried  Ambonia, 
"only  look  at  yourself." 

"  My  dear,"  said  Mr.  Mole,  staggering  backwards,  "  I 
can't  spare  time  to  look  at  myself,  all  I  can  do  is  to  look 
at  you." 

"  Don't  talk  to  me,"  shrieked  Ambonia,  "  or  I  shall  for- 
get myself,"  and  she  worked  her  fingers  nervously. 

"Forget  yourself,"  said  Mr.  Mole,  with  an  imbecile 
grin.  "  No  fear  of  that,  only  wish  you'd  forget  yourself." 

' '  What's  that  you  say  ?  "  she  asked. 

"Nothing,  my  dear.  Hadn't  you  better  go  home  and 
look  after  the  children.  We  can  do  without  you." 

"You  can,  can  you,  Mr.  Mole?"  said  Ambonia,  in  a 
tone  full  of  suppressed  rage. 

"  Of  course  we  can,  can't  we,  my  friends  ?  " 

And  Mole  turned  appealingly  to  the  young  men,  who 
found  it  difficult  to  suppress  their  laughter. 

But  neither  answered. 

Ambonia  glared  angrily  around  the  apartment 

Then  she  turned  to  her  husband. 

"Mr.  Mole,"  she  said. 


214  JACK  HARK  A  WAY  AT  OXFORD. 

'Well,  Mrs.  Mole?  "  he  replied. 
'  Go  home,  sir. " 

And  she  pointed  to  the  door. 
'  Eh  ?  "  said  Mole. 
'  Go  home." 

'Did  you  speak  to  me,  ma'am  ? " 
'I  did,  and  you  better  do  as  I  say,"  cried  the  lady. 
'Then  I  shan't/'  said  Mole,  thrusting  his  hands  deep 
into  his  trousers  pockets,  and  glaring  at  his  wife.      "If  I 
do  may  I " 

Mr.  Mole  did  not  get  any  further. 

Before  lie  could  finish  the  sentence,  Mrs.  Mole  had  seized 
him  by  the  hair  and  the  collar  of  his  coat,  and  was  shak- 
ing him  unmercifully. 

"  Do-do-don't,"  cried  Mr.  Mole.  "  You-you'll  make 
me  bald." 

"Be  aisy,  me  darling,"  said  O'Rafferty.  "Sure  an' 
that's  not  the  way  to  serve  your  husband." 

" Mind um  own  bisness,"  said  Ambonia,  "if  you  don't, 
um  serve  you  the  same." 

This  threat  called  forth  a  peal  of  laughter  from  Harvey 
and  Tom  Garden. 

"It's  meself  as  would  be  sorry  to  offend  a  lady,"  said 
O'Rafferty.  "But,  by  the  hovvly  poker,  I  should  be  after 
dropping  you  out  of  the  window  if  you  attempted  it." 

"Just  try  him,  my  dear,"  said  Mole,  "  I  wish  you  would 
let  go  of  me,  and  give  O'Rafferty  a  chance  of  becoming 
the  best  friend  I  ever  had. " 

"Come  on,  me  darling,"  said  the  young  Irishman,  as 
he  turned  and  opened  the  window,  "and  I'll  drop  you  out 
nately  on  to  the  stones." 

Ambonia  only  scowled  at  him,  and  shook  Mole  the 
more  furiously. 

"Come  home,  you  sare,"  she  said. 

"Shan't,"  said  Mole.  "Don't  order  me  about  I'm 
master,  and  I  won't  be  put  down  by  you." 

"That's  right,"  said  Harvey.      "Bravo  Mole." 

"What  for  you  encourage  my  husband  to  defy  me?" 
cried  Ambonia. 

"Don't  be  henpecked  any  longer,  Mole,"  said  Car- 
den. 

"If  she  won't  know  her  place  just  tache  it  her,"  put  in 
O'Rafferty. 


JA  CJC  HA  RKA  WAY  AT  OXFORD.  2  i  5 

Ambonia,  still  holding  her  staggering  husband,  turned 
upon  them. 

"You  bad  lot,"  she  hissed  through  her  clenched  teeth, 
"I  like  to  kill  you  all/' 

' '  And  eat  us  as  well, "  said  O'Rafferty.  ' '  Bedad  but  it's 
a  mighty  tough  bit  you'd  be  finding  me  I  take  it." 

Harvey  now  came  forward. 

Laying  his  hand  gently  on  Ambonia's  arm,  he  said — 

"Ambonia,  you  must  not  be  angry  with  Mole  for  taking 
a  little  drop  too  much  to-day  in  honour  of  Jack  Harka- 
way's  success.  Come  now,  kiss  and  be  friends." 

"No,  no,"  cried  Mole.  "Don't  ask  her  to  kiss  me, 
Harvey." 

"Why  not,  sir?" 

"Why  not,  Harvey,  because  she'd  bite;  she's  such  a 
vixen  when  her  temper's  up." 

"  Me  no  kiss  him.  Him  smell  of  drink.  Ugh.  I  sooner 
kick  than  kiss." 

"Well  then,  let  go  his  hair." 

"When  I  get  him  home,  not  before,"  said  Ambonia. 

"  But  you  must.  Come  now,  be  a  reasonable  woman, 
Ambonia  ;  let  go." 

"I  won't,"  said  Ambonia,  in  a  determined  voice. 

But  no  persuasion  could  induce  Ambonia  to  release  her 
husband. 

Mr.  Mole,  who  at  first  appeared  to  have  lost  all  courage, 
now  began  to  pluck  up  again. 

"Ambonia,"  he  cried,  "you  disgrace  me  before  my 
friends.  I  will  not  submit  to  be  treated  thus.  Once  for 
all,  will  you  release  me  ?  " 

"  When  I  get  you  home,  not  before,"  was  the  determined 
reply. 

"Then  I  will  never  go  home  again,"  replied  Mole. 
' '  Never.  I  renounce  you,  I  discard  you,  I " 

"Whatum  matter?"  asked  Monday,  at  this  moment 
putting  his  head  in  at  the  door. 

"Come  here,  Monday,"  said  Garden,  "  and  put  an  end 
to  this  scene." 

Monday  saw  in  a  moment  how  things  stood,  and  seiz- 
ing Ambonia's  hands  he  instantly  released  Mole. 

"Now  you  cut  home,  sare,"  he  said,  "Monday  hold 
Ambonia  till  you  get  away." 

Mole  rinding  himself  released,  at  once  staggered  from 


2 1 6  fACK  HARK  A  WAY  AT  OXFORD. 

the  room,  followed  by  Harvey  and  Garden,  and  went  off 
home  as  quickly  as  he  could. 

Ambonia  struggled  to  free  herself  from  Monday,  but  to 
no  purpose. 

He  held  her  in  a  grip  of  iron. 

Nor  did  he  suffer  her  to  depart  till  he  felt  sure  Mole  was 
not  likely  to  be  overtaken  by  her. 

The  moment,  however,  that  she  was  free  she  hurried  off 
after  her  husband  vowing  vengeance  upon  him. 

And  so  we  will  leave  them  and  return  to  Hunston. 


CHAPTER  LXXXVII. 

THE    PURSUIT     OF     HUNSTON. 

TAKING  a  coil  of  rope  from  under  the  bed,  Hunston  went 
to  the  window,  and  hitched  one  end  by  a  slip-knot  to  a 
strong  iron  hook. 

' '  Hi  !  "  he  cried. 

The  old  man  who  had  before  appeared  at  the  opposite 
window  came  out  again. 

"What  is  it?  "he  asked. 

"Catch  !  "  replied  Hunston  ;   "and  look  slippery." 

He  cast  the  other  end  of  the  rope  over. 

The  first  time  it  fell  short. 

"Curse  it !"  he  cried. 

There  was  a  loud  knocking  at  the  door. 

Hunston  threw  the  rope  a  second  time,  and  the  man 
grasped  it. 

He  hooked  it  to  a  nail,  and  it  swung  across  the  creek. 

"Is  it  taut ?  "  asked  Hunston. 

"Ay,  ay,"  replied  the  man.  "  I  have  not  been  an  old 
sailor  for  nothing." 

A  violent  crash  was  heard. 

The  door  of  the  room  was  broken  open. 

Manisty,  a  policeman,  and  Jack  appeared  on  the  thresh- 
old. 

Hunston  grasped  his  pistol. 

He  glared  like  a  demon  upon  Jack. 

"  Is  that  the  man  ?  "  asked  Manisty. 


JACK  HARK  AW  A  Y  AT  OXFORD. 


217 


"It  is  Hunston,"  answered  Harkaway. 

"  I  have  a  warrant  for  your  arrest,"  said  Manisty. 

"Take  that,  then,"  replied  Hunston. 

He  fired  his  pistol  point  blank  at  the  superintendent  of 
the  Oxford  police. 

"  Manisty  fell  to  the  ground  with  a  groan. 

Harkaway  made  a  dash  at  Hunston,  who  eluded  his 
grasp  and  went  through  the  window. 

He  laid  hold  of  the  rope  and  passed  himself  across. 

It  was  a  terrible  risk  to  run. 

Jack  seized  the  revolver  which  Hunston  had  dropped. 

There  were  several  barrels  not  discharged. 

"Stop,"  he  cried,  running  to  the  window  and  looking 
out,  "  or  I  fire." 

"Fire  and  be !"  Hunston  replied. 

The  man  was  entirely  in  Jack's  power. 

He  could  have  shot  him  down  like  a  rat  or  a  rabbit. 

Nor  did  he  deserve  any  mercy,  for  he  had  fired  upon 
Manisty,  who  lay  writhing  in  his  blood  on  the  floor. 

But  again  the  nobleness  of  his  nature  asserted  itself. 

"I  can't  kill  him,  poor  devil,"  he  murmured. 

And  he  flung  the  pistol  on  the  ground. 

Hunston  meanwhile  made  the  best  of  his  opportunity. 

He  reached  the  opposite  house,  having  clung  to  the  rope 
like  a  cat  or  a  monkey,  and,  climbing  in  through  the  win- 
dow, disappeared. 

Jack  turned  his  attention  to  Manisty. 

The  superintendent  was  shot  through  the  arm,  and  the 
wound  was  easily  seen  not  to  be  fatal. 

A  doctor  was  sent  for,  who  bandaged  it  up;  and  had 
him  conveyed  to  the  London  Hospital.  Hunston  had 
escaped  again. 

This  was  very  disappointing  to  Harkaway,  who  had 
made  sure  that  his  old  and  lifelong  enemy  was  in  his 
power  at  last. 

He  could  not  help  admiring  the  dexterity  and  pluck  with 
which  he — a  one-armed  man — had  crossed  from  one  house 
to  the  other  by  means  of  the  rope. 

It  was  a  hazardous  experiment. 

If  he  had  made  a  slip,  he  would  have  been  precipitated 
into  the  waters  of  the  creek,  and  probably  drowned. 

Hunston  had  always  shown  himself  full  of  energy  and 


2 18  JA  CK  II ARK  A  WAY  AT  OXFORD. 

But  his  cleverness  had  invariably  been  directed  into  a 
wrong  channel. 

His  ends  were  bad.  his  actions  vicious. 

He  was,  however,  an  enemy  by  no  means  to  be  de- 
spised ;  and,  for  this  reason,  Jack  determined  to  leave  no 
stone  unturned  to  capture  him. 

That  he  would  attempt  to  leave  the  country  he  had  no 
doubt. 

This  must  be  prevented  at  all  hazards,  and  Jack  resolved 
to  reside  in  the  neighbourhood,  and  hunt  him  up,  if  pos- 
sible. 

His  first  act  was  to  find  a  place  where  he  could  obtain 
sleeping  accommodation. 

He  did  not  mind  how  low  it  was ;  perhaps,  for  his 
purpose,  the  lower  the  better. 

A  little  walking  about  brought  him  to  Ratcliff  Highway, 
where  there  are  numerous  public-houses,  containing  music 
and  dancing  saloons,  with  beds  for  seafaring  men. 

At  one  of  these,  called  "Paddy's  Goose,"  he  engaged  a 
room. 

Then  he  went  to  a  telegraph  station  and  wired  to  Oxford, 
asking  Harvey  and  Monday  to  join  him,  as  soon  as  pos- 
sible, at  this  singular  rendezvous. 

It  was  indeed  a  strange  place  for  an  Oxford  undergrad- 
uate to  select. 

At  the  same  time,  it  was  the  most  likely  spot  for  Jack 
to  meet  the  person  he  was  in  search  of. 

Hunston  would  not  go  to  the  West-end  in  pursuit  of 
amusement ;  he  would  look  for  it  in  the  neighbourhood 
of  the  docks. 

There  was  a  chance  of  his  wasting  his  time,  for  Hun- 
ston might  get  away  in  some  ship. 

He  knew  nothing  about  his  plans  or  movements. 

Yet  he  fancied  that  such  a  dare-devil  fellow  as  Hunston 
was,  might  choose  to  have  what  is  called  a  spree  for  one 
night  before  he  banished  himself  from  his  native  country. 

To  put  an  obstacle  in  his  way  of  escaping,  he  pro- 
ceeded to  the  nearest  police-station  in  Whitechapel,  and 
asked  the  superintendent  to  have  the  departing  ships  in 
the  docks  watched. 

He  gave  a  description  of  Hunston,  and,  as  it  was 
known  that  Manisty,  of  Oxford,  had  been  shot,  the  police 
were  very  anxious  to  capture  his  assailant. 


JA  CK  HARK  A  WAY  AT  OXFORD.  219 

Officers  in  plain  clothes  were  sent  to  all  the  points  of 
departure. 

Jack's  next  move  was  to  the  shop  of  a  dealer  in  clothes, 
wigs,  etc.  ;  there  he  disguised  himself  in  a  fur  coat,  dark 
beard,  whiskers,  and  a  pair  of  spectacles. 

It  made  him  look  twenty  years  older. 

When  this  was  accomplished,  he  had  some  dinner,  and 
returned  to  "Paddy's  Goose,"  just  as  the  merriment  was 
in  full  swing. 

The  orchestra  was  doing  its  best  to  play  waltz  music  ; 
half-tipsy  sailors  were  dancing  with  painted  women, 
drinking  and  smoking  were  indulged  in  by  others,  and 
there  were  all  the  sounds  of  revelry  by  night. 

Walking  up  the  room,  Jack  looked  at  the  tables  on  the. 
left  side,  and  did  not  see  Hunston. 

There  was  no  particular  reason  why  he  should  see  him, 
but  he  had  an  instinct  that  he  would  meet  him  there. 

He  stopped  at  the  bar,  where  vile  decoctions,  under 
the  names  of  brandy,  rum,  gin,  and  whisky,  were 
briskly  retailed. 

Nor  did  he  find  his  man  there. 

The  bandsmen — a  rheumatic  fiddler,  an  asthmatical 
piccolo  (who  shrieked  rather  than  blew),  a  wheezy  cornet, 
and  a  harpist  whose  days  were  over — struggled,  as  well 
as  frequent  supplies  of  liquor  would  let  them,  with  the 
"  Beautiful  Blue  Danube"  waltz. 

He  walked  down  the  right  side  of  the  "long  room,"  as 
it  was  called. 

Before  going  half-a-dozen  yards,  he  saw  Hunston,  sitting 
at  a  table  smoking  a  cigar,  with  a  glass  of  smoking-hot 
brandy  and  water  before  him. 

By  his  side  was  an  evil-looking,  middle-aged,  short- 
cropped,  pug-nosed,  bullet-headed  ruffian. 

A  waiter  was  standing  close  by. 

"Give  your  orders,  gents  !  "  he  exclaimed. 

"What  will  you  have,  Bo's'n  Bob?"  asked  Hunston. 

"Rum  'ot,  and  plenty  of  sugar  in,  mind,"  replied  the 
man. 

He  was  the  fellow  who  had  warned  Hunston  of  the 
coming  of  the  police,  and  enabled  him  to  cross  the  creek 
by  the  aid  of  the  rope. 

Bo's'n  Bob  had  been  a  sailor,  but  was  new  a  thief  and 
a  loafer  on  shore. 


220  JACK  HARKA  WAY  AT  OXFORD. 

After  his  flight  from  Oxford,  Hunston  had  picked  him 
up  and  made  his  acquaintance  in  a  low  public-house  near 
the  docks. 

He  had  served  him  well,  as  we  know. 

Jack  took  a  seat  at  the  table,  and  owing  to  his  disguise, 
Hunston  did  not  recognise  him. 

Giving  him  a  casual  look,  he  put  him  down  for  a 
German  Jew. 

Bo's'n  Bob  had  only  just  come  in. 

When  the  waiter  returned  with  what  he  had  ordered, 
Jack  asked  for  a  tankard  of  beer  and  a  cigar. 

The  frequenters  of  the  "  long  room,"  the  like  of  which 
is  duplicated  in  Water  Street,  New  York,  and  in  Mel- 
bourne and  Sydney,  were  still  gyrating  to  the  strains  of 
the  "Blue  Danube." 

"The  ship's  gone  two  hours  sooner  than  she  was  timed 
for,"  said  Bo's'n  Bob. 

"What  a  beastly  nuisance,"  replied  Hunston.  "Are 
you  sure  ? " 

"I've  been  to  the  wharf." 

"I  wouldn't  like  to  call  you  a  liar,  but  I'm  dubious. 
Do  you  mean  to  tell  me  there's  a  reward  offered  for  me, 
and " 

"  Don't  talk  like  that,  captain,"  interrupted  Bo's'n  Bob  ; 
"  I'm  straight — I'm  square  as  they  make  'em." 

"I  can't  understand  it." 

"There'll  be  another  ship  for  Cadiz  in  three  days." 

"  You  fool,  I  may  be  caught  in  the  meantime." 

"Go  somewhere  else,  then.'" 

"  No.  I've  made  up  my  mind  to  travel  in  Spain  and 
Italy,"  Hunston  replied.  "Besides,  if  I  go  to  France,  or 
America,  I  am  more  likely  to  be  wired  after,  and  searched 
for  there. " 

"Shall  I  take  you  to  a  good  hiding-place  for  a  day  or 
two  ? "  said  Bo's'n  Bob. 

"Where's  that?" 

"  '  Noah's  Ark,'  my  lad.     That's  where  I'll  take  you." 

Hunston  looked  at  him  as  if  he  were  either  drunk  or 
mad,  for  there  did  not  seem  to  be  any  relevancy  in  this 
answer  to  his  question. 

"What  the  deuce  do  you  mean  ?  "  he  demanded 

"I'll  tell  you,"  replied  Bo's'n  Bob  ;  "but  I  don't  think 
H  advisable  to  let  out  too  much  in  a  public  place  like  this. 


JA  CK  HA  RKAWAY  AT  OXFORD.  2  2 1 

You're  a  hunted  man,    and  of  course  don't  want  your 
iddress  to  be  chalked  upon  every  wall." 

"Thank  you.  I  put  myself  unreservedly  in  your 
hands. " 

"You  can't  do  better.  I'll  see  you  right,"  said  Bo's'n 
Bob.  "As  you  shot  the  policeman,  there'll  be  a  hue-and- 
cry  after  you." 

' '  Sure  to  bfe 

"Keep  close;  I'll  do  the  biz,  go  about  and  get  the 
news.  I  reckon  the  outward-bound  ships  will  be  watched 
for  a  time." 

"I  shouldn't  wonder,"  remarked  Hunston.  "  Harka- 
way  is  just  as  bitter  against  me  as  I  am  towards  him. 
He  will  do  all  he  can  to  get  me  between  four  stone  walls. 
You  are  my  only  friend — you,  a  stranger  almost,  and  yet 
I  feel  I  can  trust  you." 

"You  may  do  that,"  said  Bo's'n  Bob.  "You  pay  me 
well  for  my  services — and  I  like  money." 

"Why  do  you  like  money?"  he  inquired. 

"  Because  I  hate  work.  Money  enables  a  man  to  live 
at  his  ease.  I  never  go  to  sea  while  I  have  any  coin." 

"Then  you  would  do  any  thing  for  gold?  " 

"Almost  everything — 'cepting,  of  course,  selling  a  pal,  *' 
replied  Bo's'n  Bob,  with  a  wink  and  a  leer. 

Hunston  regarded  him  suspiciously. 

He  looked  just  the  kind  of  man  who  would  betray  a 
friend  with  as  much  promptitude  and  duplicity  as  Judas 
betrayed  his  Master. 

Yet  he  could  not  shake  the  fellow  off. 

Unable  at  present  to  leave  the  shores  of  England,  he 
was  entirely  in  his  power. 

He  was  compelled  to  place  his  trust  in  him,  whether  he 
would  or  not,  though  he  knew  that  the  man  might  hand 
him  over  to  the  detectives  at  any  moment. 

"  I  will  see  that  you  have  enough  money  in  return  for 
what  you  do  for  me,  to  make  your  cruise  ashore  last  out 
another  six  months,"  Hunston  said. 

"Good  enough;  it's  a  deal.  I'm  on,"  cried  Bo's'n 
Bob. 

"Will  that  suit  you?" 

"Down  to  the  ground,  Boss.  You're  a  king,  and  I'll 
hide  you  away  in  the  '  Noah's  A.rk '  until  the  cops  are  off 
the  scent,  and  you  can  get  away  to  the  Spanish  coast " 


1 2  2  JACK  HA  RKA  WAY  AT  OXFORD. 

"What  and  where  is  this  'Noah's  Ark 'you  keep  on 
talking  about?"  Hunston  queried. 

Bo's'n  Bob  grinned,  and  looked  very  knowing. 

"  I  ain't  giving  any  thing  away  to-day,"  he  replied. 

"You  might  as  well  let  me  know." 

"Not  I.  My  head  is  too  level  for  that,  you  bet.  I've 
hid  in  the  '  Noah's  Ark '  for  weeks,  when  there's  been  a 
police  movement  after  me,  and  not  one  never  came  near." 

' '  By  Jove  !  you  arouse  my  curiosity.     Is  it " 

"  Hold  on  ;  you  won't  get  it  out  of  me,  that's  straight. 
All  in  good  time.  Fact  is  " — Bo's'n  Bob  lowered  his  voice 
— "  I  don't  like  the  look  of  that  rooster  over  there,"  point- 
ing to  Jack  Harkaway. 

"That  one  with  the  beard,  whiskers,  and  spectacles?" 
asked  Hunston. 

"Yes  ;  he's  taking  it  all  in  and  piping  us  off.  I  believe 
he's  a  moocher." 

• '  What's  that  ?  " 

"Why,  a  spy— one  that  mooches  about  for  the  police. 
Wipe  off  your  chin." 

"Eh — what?"  Hunston  replied,  being  puzzled  to  find 
a  meaning  for  some  of  his  friend's  remarks. 

"  Don't  talk.  Stop  moving  your  chin.  You  can't  talk 
without  doing  it,  can  you  ?  " 

"  Where  are  we  going  to  sleep  to-night  ? " 

"In  the  '  Ark,'  of  course." 

"The  '  Ark '  again  !  You'll  drive  me  crazy  with  curios- 
ity to  know " 

"Look  here  !"  interrupted  Bo's'n  Bob.  "I'm  dubious 
that  you're  morev/  half  a  fool.  What  have  I  been  telling 
of  to  you,  and  what  are  you  giving  me?  Do  you  want 
me  to  make  every  thing  as  plain  as  moonbeams  on  a  shut- 
ter to  the  cove  sitting  there? " 

"  I  beg  pardon,"  replied  Hunston. 

"So  you  ought.  We'll  be  going  when  this  dance  is 
over.  It's  a  polka — no  it  ain't,  it's  a  sailor's  hornpipe. 
Look  out !  You'll  see  some  fun  now  !  The  women  will 
face  the  men,  and  step  it  as  well  as  they  can.  Hurrah  ! 
that  is  the  step,  fair  heel  and  toe  ;  keep  it  up  !  " 

The  fun  now  became  rather  amusing  to  Hunston,  who 
had  never  seen  any  thing  like  it  before. 

Jack  had  pretended  to  look  in  another  direction,  taking 
no  notice  of  Hunston  and  his  companion. 


JA  CK  HA  RKA  WAY  AT  OXFORD.  223 

Yet  he  had  overheard  and  treasured  up  every  word  that 
had  passed  between  them. 

It  was  about  time,  he  thought,  to  go  outside,  and  ob- 
tain the  services  of  a  constable  to  arrest  Hunston. 

He  was  about  to  leave  the  "long  room  "  for  that  pur- 
pose, when  a  band  of  a  dozen  sailors  marched  up  the  floor. 

The  hornpipe  was  just  over,  the  music  had  ceased. 

The  newcomers  were  going  to  the  bar ;  but  when  they 
saw  Bo's'n  Bob,  they  stopped  short,  with  a  smile  on  their 
faces. 

"  Well,  blow  me  !  "  cried  one  who  appeared  to  be  their 
leader.  "If  that  ain't  old  Bob  Turner,  my  name  ain't 
Peter  Simson." 

Bo's'n  Bob  jumped  up,  and  extended  his  open  palm. 

"Put  it  there,  Peter,"  he  said.  "Why,  you've  got  all 
the  crew  of  the  '  Hilda  Varga '  with  you.  When  did  you 
reach  port  ? " 

"  Last  night,  sonny." 

The  "Hilda  Varga  "  was  a  ship  in  the  Norwegian  trade, 
and  Bob  had  made  many  voyages  in  her. 

He  had  to  shake  hands  with  all  the  crew,  who  were  his 
friends  of  old,  and  they  proceeded  to  sit  down  at  a  table. 

They  were  bound  to  have  drinks  with  their  messmate 
before  they  went  any  farther. 

The  crew  of  the  "  Hilda  Varga"  were  possessed  of  a 
thirst  difficult  to  quench,  for  they  had  stopped  at  nearly 
every  public-house  since  they  left  the  dock,  and  were  still 
as  thirsty  as  when  they  began. 

Jack  being  in  the  way,  was  rudely  pushed  on  one  side 
by  a  stalwart  sailor. 

Rather  foolishly,  he  resented  the  indignity. 

"  How  dare  you  touch  me  !  "  he  exclaimed. 

' '  Who  are  you  ? "  asked  the  sailor.  ' '  You'd  better  heave 
in  your  slack,  or  you'll  find  yourself  on  your  beam  ends." 

"It  would  take  a  better  man  than  you  to  floor  me," 
replied  Jack. 

"Is  that  your  idea?  Down  you  go  like  a  bullock !" 
roared  the  sailor. 

He  hit  out  at  Jack,  who  parried  the  blow  and  delivered 
a  counter  one  on  the  nose  which  caused  his  man  to  fall 
heavily. 

This  roused  the  tempers  of  the  crew  of  the  "  Hilda 
Varga, " 


224  JACK  HA  RKA  WAY  AT  OXFORD. 

Before  he  cor.ld  realise  his  position,  he  was  attacked  by 
half-a-dozen. 

Placing  his  back  against  the  wall,  he  fought  like  a  tiger. 

He  kept  on  knocking  the  sailors  down  like  nine-pins. 

Rows  and  fights  were  common  enough  in  the  long 
rooms  of  Ratcliff  Highway  a  few  years  ago,  though  mat- 
ters have  improved  considerably  since. 

The  efforts  of  the  missionaries  and  the  increased  vigil- 
ance of  the  police  have,  to  an  extent,  cleansed  the  augean 
stable. 

It  was  then  the  custom,  when  a  disturbance  arose,  for 
the  waiters  to  push  the  crowd  aside,  seize  the  offenders, 
and  put  them  outside  on  the  pavement,  using  violence 
when  necessary. 

The  waiters  were  engaged  for  their  size  and  strength. 

It  was  rather  a  difficult  thing,  on  the  present  occasion, 
to  quiet  the  crew  of  the  "  Hilda  Varga." 

They  had  got  what  they  termed  their  fighting  whisky 
on  board. 

Jack  was  knocked  about,  a&  was  inevitable ;  his 
spectacles  fell  to  the  ground,  his  beard  was  torn  off,  the 
whiskers  followed,  and  his  wig  went  awry. 

It  was  all  his  own  fault 

If  he  had  gone  away  without  taking  any  notice  of  the 
sailor's  rudness  and  procured  the  police  he  would  have 
caught  Hunston  in  as  nice  a  trap  as  he  could  have 
wished. 

Now  it  was  entirely  different. 

He  had  lost  the  game,  all  through  his  impetuosity  and 
imprudence. 

Suddenly,  while  he  was  getting  decidedly  the  worst  of 
it,  and  really  was  in  danger  of  being  seriously  injured,  a 
diversion  occurred  in  his  favour. 

Two  persons  pushed  their  way  through  the  crowd. 

They  were  Harvey  and  Monday,  who  had  just  arrived 
at  ' '  Paddy's  Goose  "  from  Oxford,  in  response  to  Jack's 
telegram. 

Previously  to  this,  Hunston  had  recognised  Harkaway 
when  deprived  of  his  disguise. 

But  he  did  not  move  or  make  any  remark,  hoping  that 
the  sailors  would  knock  him  about  so  badly,  that  he 
would  have  to  go  to  the  hospital. 

He  was  watching  the  contest  with  keen  expectation. 


/A  CK  HARK  A  WAY  AT  OXFORD. 


225 


'  waiters,  and  the  proprietor  of  the  "  long  room," 
had  put  themselves  on  Jack's  side. 

That  saved  him  somewhat  from  the  onslaught  that  was 
made  upon  him. 

"He's  a  spy,"  whispered  Bo's'n  Bob.  "Look  at  him 
now  his  wig's  come  off.  What  did  I  tell  you  ?  But, 
thanks  to  me,  he  has  not  heard  much." 

"We  must  run,"  replied  Hunston.  "Some  friends  of 
his  have  come." 

"  How  can  you  tell  ?  " 

"I  know  them.     Off!" 

They  sneaked  away  through  the  crowd,  unobserved  in 
the  confusion,  and  were  soon  lost  to  sight. 

Hunston's  good  luck  once  more  assisted  him. 

Without  any  hesitation,  Harvey  knocked  down  a  couple 
of  sailors  directly  he  saw  that  they  were  attacking  his 
friend  Harkaway. 

Monday  disposed  of  two  others,  and  the  waiters  speedily 
ejected  the  whole  of  the  crew  of  the  "  Hilda  Varga." 

"Thank  Heaven,  you  have  arrived!"  gasped  Jack, 
who  was  scarcely  able  to  speak.  "I  never  had  such  a 
bout  in  my  life." 

"Are  you  hurt?  "  asked  Harvey. 

"I  feel  sore.  Those  fellows  punch  hard,  and  it  took 
all  my  science  to  keep  them  at  bay.  Have  you  got  Hun- 
ston ?  " 

"No.     Where  is  he?" 

Jack  looked  round.  » 

"  Gone,  by  Jingo  !  "  he  cried. 

He  sat  down  and  called  for  some  brandy.  The  pro- 
prietor of  the  place  apologised  for  the  annoyance  to  which 
he  had  been  subjected  ;  order  was  restored ;  the  music 
struck  up  again  ;  and  dancing  was  resumed,  as  if  noth- 
ing had  happened, — always  the  case  in  these  places,  even 
if  a  corpse  is  carried  away  on  a  shutter,  andamanslaugh- 
terer  taken,  red-handed,  to  the  police-station. 

Jack  related  to  Harvey  and  Monday  all  that  had  oc- 
curred that  day  since  his  arrival  in  the  East-end  of  London. 

"It's  a  great  pity  you  missed  him,"  remarked  Harvey. 

"  What  um  going  to  do  now,  sah?     inquired  Monday. 

"You  not  going  to  be  beat,  eh?" 

"Not  if  I  know  it,"  answered  Jack.      "  I'm  always  up 
to  date.     What  do  you  think,  Dick  ?  " 
15 


226  JACK  HARK  A  WAY  AT  OXFORD. 

"Up  to  date,  and  the  day  after,"  replied  Harvey. 

"Well,  1  mean  to  stick  to  Hunston  till  I  can  put  him 
where  I  can  find  him." 

"Good  old  Jack  !" 

"He  can  not  get  away,"  continued  Harkaway,  "be- 
cause the  London  police  are  watching  all  the  docks,  and 
have  telegraphed  to  every  port  in  the  kingdom  to  have  any 
one-armed  man,  trying  to  leave  the  country,  arrested." 

"I  say,"  exclaimed  Harvey,  "what  a  low  place  this 
is  !  Are  you  really  going  to  stay  here  ? " 

"I  selected  it  because  I  fancied  it  would  be  a  likely 
spot  to  find  Hunston  in,"  answered  Jack. 

"  It  is  a  kind  of  diggings  I  don't  care  about." 

"  Nor  I  now.  He  will  not  come  back  now,  so  we  will 
find  a  more  congenial  drum — say  some  City  hotel,  near 
the  Bank.  We  must  keep  in  the  City,  you  know,  for  I 
mean  to  search  in  every  direction,  day  by  day,  for  the 
'Noah's  Ark."' 

"  What  can  it  be?" 

"It  is  a  mystery.  Let  us  leave  this  place,  ask  the 
police  if  they  know  what  the  'Noah's  Ark'  is,  and  where 
it  is  to  be  found,  then  discover  a  decent  resting-place." 

"That  am  good  advice,"  said  Monday.  "Sit  down  to 
um  good  supper,  have  um  good  bed,  and  go  on  a  hunt  in 
the  morning. " 

"So  say  I,"  replied  Harvey.  "We  have  a  cunning 
man  to  deal  with,  but  we  will  corner  him  yet,  no  fear." 

They  quitted  the  gas,  the  glare,  and  the  noise  of  the 
"long  room,"  and  proceeded  to  the  police-station. 

There  they  were  unable  to  obtain  any  information  re- 
specting "Noah's  Ark." 

Such  a  spot  or  place  was  entirely  unknown  to  the 
police. 

A  hotel  was  found  in  Finsbury  Square.  Jack  got  some 
ointment  for  the  bruises  on  his  face,  which  were  not  so 
bad  as  might  have  been  expected ;  and,  after  writing  to 
Oxford  for  some  portmanteaus  filled  with  clothes,  to  be 
sent  them,  and  asking  the  Dean  for  an  extension  of  leave, 
they  sat  down  to  a  champagne  supper. 

"  I'll  give  you  a  toast,"  exclaimed  Jack,  raising  his 
glass:  "'Confusion  to  Hunston,  and  a  speedy  cap- 
ture.'" 

It  was  drunk  with  enthusiasm, 


JA  CK  HARK  A  WAY  AT  OXFORD.  227 

"  Bet  um  golden  sovereign,  Mast'  Jack,  we  cotch  him," 
said  Monday. 

.    "I'm   dubious,"  replied  Jack  ;    "  but  we'll  do  our  level 
best." 

"You  can  count  on  me,"  remarked  Harvey. 

"  I  always  can,  dear  boy  ;  you  need  not  tell  me  that," 
Jack  answered. 

Full  of  hope  and  determination  they  retired  to  rest 

What  the  morrow   would  bring  forth  neither  of  them 
could  tell. 

"  Noah's  Ark"  was  a  riddle  they  could  not  solve. 


CHAPTER    LXXXVIII. 

"  NOAH'S  ARK  " FANNY  TURNER  MAKES    HUNSTON  DISCOVER 

THAT  HIS  HEART  IS  NOT  DEAD. 

HUNSTON  and  Bo's'n  Bob  walked  quietly  away  in  the 
direction  of  Shad  well. 

When  they  put  half-a-mile  between  them  and  the  scene 
of  their  late  adventure,  they  paused  to  light  their  pipes. 

"That  was  a  near  shave,"  remarked  Bo's'n  Bob. 

"I  never  had  a  narrower  squeak  in  my  life,"  replied 
Hunston. 

"  Fancy  that  chap  Harkaway  being  got  up  in  disguise, 
so  as  you  didn't  know  him.  I  had  my  suspicions, though." 

"  You  were  right." 

"Right !  "  echoed  Bo's'n  Bob,  "I  should  think  I  was. 
All  he  heard  was  that  I  was  going  to  take  you  to  '  Noah's 
Ark.'  Ha,  ha  !  that  will  be  a  hard  nut  for  him  to  crack." 

"Is  it  a  boat,  a  house,  a  tavern,  or  a  street  ?  " 

"It's  a  house  by  the  river's  side,  belonging  to  my 
brother,  Tom  Turner — that's  our  family  name,"  replied 
Bo's'n  Bob.  "  He's  a  dog  and  bird  fancier  ;  he  calls  him- 
self a  naturalist  and  stuffer.  He'll  stuff  any  dead  creature 
for  you,  from  a  camel  to  a  chaffinch." 

"Indeed!" 

"His  great  trade,  however,  is  in  birds,  or  dogs.  He 
goes  out  with  traps  in  the  fields,  catching  birds,  and  he 
breeds  dogs  ;  likewise  he  sells  parrots,  cockatoos,  and 


228  JACK  HARK  A  WAY  AT  OXFORD. 

monkeys.  Many  a  lot  have  I  brought  him  when  I've 
come  from  a  voyage  in  the  Pacific ;  he  thinks  the  world 
and  all  of  me  ;  in  fact,  he'd  do  anything  for  me,  if " 

He  paused  abruptly. 

"If  what ? "  asked  Hunston. 

"  If  I  paid  him,"  continued  Bo's'n  Bob.  "  Brother 
Tom's  wonderful  fond  of  money  ;  he's  rich,  and  he  keeps 
on  saving  up." 

"  A  miser?" 

"No,  I  won't  call  him  that.  He's  a  widower  with  one 
child,  the  prettiest  girl — now  seventeen — ever  you  clapped 
eyes  on,  captain,  and  he's  a-saving  for  her." 

"Well,  you  can't  blame  him  for  that." 

"  Not  I  ;  he'll  take  us  in  if  we  pay  him  for  the  accom- 
modation. The  bird-fanciers — and  there  are  a  lot  of  'em 
in  the  East-end — christened  his  shop  'Noah's  Ark,'  be- 
cause it's  an  old  tumble-down,  wooden-built  house,  full 
of  all  kinds  of  animals.  I've  known  him  have  a  bear  and 
a  tiger  cub  at  the  same  time." 

"  Does  his  daughter  like  the  animals  and  birds  ?" 

"She  just  dotes  upon  them.  It's  Fanny's  delight  to 
feed  and  talk  to  them." 

"Is  the  sign  of  the  'Noah's  Ark'  over  the  shop?" 
inquired  Hunston. 

"  No  ;  it's  just  the  name  the  crib  has  got  in  the  neigh- 
bourhood of  Shadwell,"  rejoined  Bo's'n'Bob. 

"  Then  the  police  are  not  likely  to  track  us  ?" 

"Not  they." 

"  Harkaway  will  be  sure  to  treasure  up  the  words, 
'Noah's  Ark';  nothing  escapes  that  fellow,  confound 
him  !  " 

"Rest  easy,  he  won't  find  us.  We'll  keep  dark  fora 
time,  send  out  for  our  rum  and  beer,  and  sit  in  the  front 
parlour,  looking  out  on  the  river,  seeing  the  craft  go  up 
and  down  with  the  tide.  When  you're  tired  of  that,  you 
can  read,  or  talk  to  the  animals." 

"  I  think  I'd  rather  talk  to  Fanny,"  said  Hunston, 
smiling. 

"  Don't  you  take  no  liberty  with  her,  captain,"  cried 
Bo's'n  Bob.  "She's  mighty  pertickler,  and  high-spirited 
as  a  thoroughbred.  'Vast  heaving,  you'll  have  to  haul 
your  wind  and  tack  wide,  if  you  offend  her.  She's  a  little 
lady  in  her  way. " 


JACK  HARK  A  WAY  AT  OXFORD.  2  29 

"Oh  !  "  replied  Hunston,  carelessly,  "I  know  how  to 
behave  myself. " 

"  I  may  tell  you  that  she's  engaged  to  a  middy." 

"Engaged!  " 

"Yes.  He's  a  chap  named  Fred  Bird,  on  the  Donald 
Currie  line,  running  from  Southampton  to  the  Cape.  He 
comes  up  on  the  Sou'-western  Railway  reg'lar  after  every 
voyage ;  and,  being  two  year  older  than  she,  it  wouldn't 
surprise  me  if  they  were  to  get  spliced  soon." 

"  May  they  be  happy,"  answered  Hunston,  gloomily. 
"I  don't  suppose  I  shall  ever  go  in  for  so  much  as  a  mild 
flirtation  again." 

' '  Why  not,  captain  ?  " 

"  My  heart's  dead." 

They  walked  on  in  silence. 

It  was  nearly  eleven  o'clock  when  they  arrived  at  Tom 
Turner's  "Noah's  Ark." 

The  house  was  of  two  stories,  long  and  narrow  in  its 
build.  The  entrance  was  gained  through  a  garden,  the 
rear  facing  the  river. 

In  an  arbour  covered  with  jasmine  and  clematis,  Tom 
Turner,  the  naturalist,- was  smoking  a  pipe,  with  a  jug  of 
ale  before  him. 

The  night  was  beautiful,  and  reflected  credit  on  an 
English  summer ;  for  the  air  was  soft  and  balmy,  the  sky 
studded  with  stars,  and  the  crescent  moon  threw  its  sil- 
very rays  on  all  around. 

"Who  goes  there?"  the  naturalist  cried,  as  he  heard 
them  coming  up  the  garden  path. 

"Brother  Tom,"  replied  Bo's'n  Bob.  "It's  I  and  a 
mate  of  mine,  come  to  give  you  a  turn  for  a  week,  if 
you'll  accept  a  fi'-pun  note  for  our  board  and  lodging. " 

' '  Let  me  see  the  colour  of  your  money  first,  and  I'll  make 
you  welcome,  Bob,"  answered  the  naturalist.  "I'm  poor 
and  can't  afford  to  be  generous  in  these  hard  competitive 
times." 

Hunston  felt  in  his  pocket  and  handed  Bo's'n  Bob  five 
sovereigns,  which  the  latter  gave  to  his  brother. 

"That's  right;  always  pay  up  like  a  man,"  said  the 
latter.  "  Short  reckonings  make  long  friends.  You  can 
have  the  first-floor  back  room  ;  the  bed's  big  enough  to 
hold  two.  Who's  your  friend  ?  " 

"  Mr.  Hunston.     He's  connected  with  a  shipping  firm, 


230  JA  CK  HA  RKA  WAY  AT  OXFORD. 

and  is  going  to  Spain  shortly  on  some  business,  but  he 
hasn't  been  very  well  lately,  and  wants  a  week  or  two  for 
complete  rest ;  so  I  fancied  I'd  bring  him  down  here,  as  I 
thought  I'd  like  to  see  you  afore  I  sail  again  for  furrin  parts." 

"  Well,  as  I  said  before,  you're  welcome,  if  you  bring 
your  welcome  with  you,"  exclaimed  Tom  Turner. 
"  Come  inside.  Fanny's  laid  some  bread  and  cheese  on 
the  table,  and  we  draw  our  own  beer,  if  you're  inclined 
that  way.  If  not,  you  can  go  to  the  public,  and  buy  what 
spirits  you  want.  I  can't  afford  to  give  any  thing  away  ; 
times  are  too  hard.  Come  on." 

He  led  the  way  to  the  house. 

They  followed  him  into  a  neatly  furnished,  clean  sitting 
and  dining-room,  where  a  very  pretty,  flaxen-haired,  blue- 
eyed  girl  was  sitting  near  a  lamp,  reading  a  novelette. 

"  I  was  about  to  call  you,  father, "she  said.  "  But  who 
have  you  with  you  ?  " 

"  Brother  Bob,  and  a  friend,  Mr.  Hunston  by  name. 
Come  to  stay  a  week  or  two  with  us.  Money  paid  in 
advance,  my  dear.  Hard  times,  you  know." 

Fanny  Turner  rose  and  bowed  to  Hunston,  while  she 
shook  hands  with  her  uncle  Bob. 

Hunston  jumped  to  the  conclusion  that  he  had  never 
seen  such  a  lovely  girl  in  his  life. 

He  thought  he  should  like  to  win  her  for  his  wife,  and 
take  her  abroad  to  share  his  fate. 

What  did  it  matter  to  him  that  she  was  engaged  to  be 
married  to  a  young  midshipman,  named  Fred  Bird  ? 

She  saw  his  ardent  look  and  lowered  her  eyes. 

They  all  sat  down  to  supper,  and  Hunston  addressed 
a  few  remarks  to  Fanny,  which  she  replied  to  in  monosyl- 
lables. 

He  could  see  in  a  moment  that  she  did  not  like  him,  bul 
that  made  him  all  the  more  determined  to  make  her  do  so 

His  heart  was  not  dead 

The  girl's  beauty  and  innocence  galvanised  it  into  life 
again,  as  it  were,  all  in  a  moment. 

Neither  the  naturalist  nor  his  daughter  had  any  idea 
that  Bo's'n  Bob  had  deteriorated  from  the  honest  position 
he  once  held,  and  become  the  associate  of  doubtful  charaw 
ters. 

Nor  did  any  suspicion  as  to  the  integrity  of  his  friena 
enter  into  tiveir  minds. 


JA  CK  HARK  A  WAY  AT  OXFORD.  23 1 

They  were  received  in  a  good-natured,  open-hearted 
way,  and  allowed  to  run  about  the  house  like  one  of 
themselves. 

That  night  they  slept  very  comfortably,  and  were 
roused  at  an  early  hour  by  the  most  discordant  noises 
ever  heard  out  of  a  tropical  forest. 

The  various  birds  were  singing  and  whistling,  the  owls 
hooting,  the  monkeys  screeching,  the  dogs  barking  and 
yelping,  and,  above  all,  was  the  deep  growl  of  a  tiger, 
which  was  confined  in  an  iron  cage. 

Hunston  was  vastly  amused  at  this  collection,  but  he 
liked  best  to  go  into  the  kitchen  and  talk  with  Fanny, 
while  she  went  about  her  daily  task. 

After  breakfast,  Bo's'n  Bob  went  out,  coming  back  with 
the  daily  papers,  a  bottle  of  rum,  tobacco,  and  a  two-gal- 
lon jar  of  beer,  which  he  took  into  the  parlour. 

Hunston  was  looking  out  of  the  window  on  to  the  river. 

It  was  nearly  flood  tide,  and  the  stream  was  crowded 
with  craft  of  every  description,  from  the  magnificent  four 
or  five  thousand  ton  steamer  to  the  humble  lighter. 

"I  thought  I'd  bring  stores  for  the  ship,"  exclaimed 
Bob.  "  I  can't  abear  a  dry  pipe." 

"That  is  right,"  replied  Hunston.  "You  are  a  good 
caterer  ;  I  shall  make  you  purser." 

"What  a  sight  the  River  Thames  is  !"  remarked  the 
sailor.  "There's  nothing  like  it  in  the  world  for  com- 
merce." 

"The  Clyde  and  the  Mersey  come  near  it,"  replied 
Hunston. 

"No,  they  don't,"  said  Bo's'n  Bob,  closing  the  door 
carefully  after  him.  "  I'll  just  keep  out  some  of  the  noise 
of  the  '  Noah's  Ark.'  Where's  the  old  man  ?  " 

" Bird-stuffing  in  the  kitchen." 

"Do  you  know,"  continued  Bob,  "that  I  saw  him  put 
the  five  pounds  you  gave  him  last  night  in  a  big  box, 
b-~»und  with  iron  clamps,  but  only  secured  by  a  padlock." 

•'  What  of  that  ?  " 

*•  The  box  was  full  up  of  gold.  My  eye !  what  a  haul  a 
burglar  would  have.  He'd  never  want  to  work  any  more." 

His  eyes  glistened  greedily. 

"It  is  vevy  foolish  of  Mr.  Turner,"  observed  Hunston. 
"  I  wonder  ne  doesn'i  bank  his  money.  He  ought  to  be 
told  ot  if 


232  JA  CK  HARK  A  WAY  AT  OXFORD. 

"Not  by  me.  He  wouldn't  thank  me  for  interfering 
in  his  affairs.  Besides,  he'd  be  riled  to  think  I  knew 
where  he  kept  his  money,"  Bo's'n  Bob  replied.  "  It 
wouldn't  surprise  me  if  some  night  he  was  found  murdered 
in  his  bed,  and  all  his  cash  gone." 

There  was  a  peculiar  harshness  in  his  voice,  which  Hun- 
ston  was  forced  to  notice. 

"Why,  you  wouldn't "he  began. 

"  Pooh  !"  interrupted  Bob;  "did  I  speak  of  myself, 
you  fool  ?  " 

"  I'm  glad  of  that,  because  I  could  not  be  a  party  to 
such  a  crime." 

' '  Wait  till  you're  asked,  though  I  daresay  you  have  done 
worse  than  that." 

"  How  do  you  know  ?  "  asked  Hunston,  nettled. 

"Some  people  talk  in  their  sleep.  You  do — you  did 
last  night  when  you  slept  with  me  ;  and  if  half  what  you 
said  about  yourself  is  true,  I  shouldn't  like  to  go  bail  for 
you  to  any  amount." 

Hunston  made  no  reply,  but  gazed  steadily  out  upon 
the  shipping. 

At  any  other  time,  he  would  have  wished  to  be  on 
board  one  of  the  outward-bound  vessels. 

Now  he  was  perfectly  content  to  run  any  risk  on  shore, 
so  long  as  he  could  be  near  Fanny  Turner. 

He  had  fallen  desperately  in  love  with  her,  and  he 
hoped  that  the  words  Bob  had  just  let  fall  did  not  bode 
any  misfortune  to  her  or  hers. 

Hunston  resolved  to  keep  a  sharp  watch  on  Bob's 
movements,  and  prevent  him  doing  any  thing  wrong  if  he 
could. 

Then  he  thought  of  Fanny's  sweetheart,  young  Fred 
Bird,  the  middy,  on  his  way  back  from  the  Cape,  and  he 
found  himself  wishing  that  the  ship  would  sink  with  him. 

If  he  could  but  win  Fanny,  and  take  her  away  to  a 
foreign  land,  where  he  would  be  safe  how  he  would  try 
to  retrieve  and  live  down  his  black  and  sinful  past  ! 

The  prospect  was  very  alluring,  but  something  seemed 
to  tell  him  it  could  not  be. 


JACK  hARKA  WAY  AT  OXFORD.  233 

CHAPTER  LXXXIX. 

THE  LOVER'S  RETURN — A  VILLAINOUS  PLOT. 

WHILE  Hunston  was  looking  dreamily  out  upon  the 
brimming  river,  thinking  how  happy  he  could  be  with 
a  girl  like  Fanny  Turner  for  his  wife,  the  postman  passed 
the  window. 

He  stopped,  looked  up,  and  smiled  at  Hunston. 

"I've  a  letter  for  Miss  Fanny  Turner,  '  Noah's  Ark, '" 
he  exclaimed.  "  This  is  the  '  Ark,  '  isn't  it?  " 

"  Yes,"  replied  Hunston. 

"  I'm  a  new  hand  on  the  beat,  and  wasn't  quite  sure." 

"  Hand  it  in." 

"Thank  you,"  answered  the  letter-carrier,  as -he  gave 
Hunston  the  epistle  through  the  window. 

Looking  at  the  address,  Hunston  saw  that  it  was  written 
in  a  boyish  hand. 

In  a  corner  was  inscribed  :  "  Fred  Bird,  'The  Stirling 
Castle,'"  and  the  postmark  was  Southampton. 

"  From  her  lover,"  he  muttered  ;  "  she  told  us  he  was 
coming  up.  By  heaven  !  I'll  win  her,  if  I  have  to  walk 
over  his  corpse." 

Bo's'n  Bob  looked  at  him  curiously. 
-    ' '  What's  that  ?  "  he  asked. 

"I  was  only  talking  to  myself,"  replied  Hunston.  "I 
don't  mind  telling  you  that  I  am  in  love  with  your  charm- 
ing niece." 

"That  isn't  much  good,  she  won't  return  it,  because 
she's  got  a  sweetheart,  as  you've  heard." 

"Yes  ;  I  know  it,"  said  Hunston,  sullenly.  "Here  is 
a  letter  from  her  boy  in  blue,  curse  him  !  " 

"  Is  he  coming  up,  do  you  think  ?  " 

"Of  course.  What  else?  His  ship's  arrived;  he's 
ashore,  isn't  he?  Here's  the  Southampton  postmark." 

"You  want  to  win  Fanny?"  remarked  Bo's'n  Bob, 
thoughtfully. 

"I  do;  it  would  open  anew  life  to  me.  Away  in 
some  quiet,  secluded  place,  with  her,  how  happy  I  could 


234  JA  CK  HARK  A  WAY  AT  OXFORD. 

be  !  Ah,  me !  the  sinful  part  should  be  redeemed  ;  joy 
would  be  mine." 

Bo's'n  Bob  rose. 

He  walked  across  the  room  to  Hunston  and  whispered 
in  his  ear. 

This  is  what  he  said — 

' '  I'll  help  you  if  you'll  help  me.  You  shall  have  Fanny, 
and  we  will  settle  Freddy  Bird." 

"What  are  your  terms ? "  asked  Hunston. 

"If  there  should  be  a  robbery  here — such  things  do 
happen  in  the  best  regulated  families,  shipmate " 

' '  Of  course — I  know  that. " 

"You  won't  say  anything  about  me  ?  Til  put  the 
blame  on  to  Freddy  Bird.  Nobody  knows  what  my 
brother  has  got  in  the  iron-bound  chest,  except  me.  It  is 
a  fortune.'' 

"Well,"  ejaculated  Hunston. 

"  I  mean  to  have  it  all.  The  crime  shall  be  put  down 
to  this  young  midshipman  on  the  Donald  Currie  line.  Do 
you  take  my  meaning?" 

"Yes.     It  is  risky,  but  it  can  be  done." 

"Can!  It  shall  be.  I'll  rid  you  of  your  rival.  But 
hush  !  I  hear  footsteps,"  said  Bo's'n  Bob. 

They  became  silent,  and  Hunston  rose  to  his  feet. 

He  saw  Fanny  Turner  entering  the  room  with  a  little 
green  paroquet  on  her  shoulder,  and  a  couple  of  toy 
terrier  dogs  by  her  side.  All  the  animals  in  the  "  Noah's 
Ark  "  loved  her. 

It  seemed  impossible  for  any  thing  in  creation  to  come 
in  contact  with  her  without  being  attracted  towards  her. 

So  sweet,  so  pure,  so  kind  was  she. 

"Have  you  heard  the  postman,  Mr.  Hunston? "she 
asked.  "  I  have  been  expecting  a  letter  all  the  morning. " 

"He  has  just  given  me  one  for  you,  through  the 
window,  Miss  Turner,"  replied  Hunston. 

"  Many  thanks  !  " 

"I  was  going  to  seek  you.     Here  it  is." 

Fanny  took  the  letter  from  him,  and  a  deep  flush 
suffused  her  countenance  as  she  saw  the  handwriting. 

It  was  from  Fred. 

"  Excuse  me  if  I  open  it,"  she  said. 

"Certainly." 

Her  anxiety  to  hear  from  her  sweetheart  was  so  great. 


JA  CK  HA  RKA  WAY  AT  OXFORD.  235 

that  she  could  not  wait  to  go  to  a  private  room  to  read 
the  contents  of  his  epistle. 

In  a  moment  she  tore  open  the  envelope  and  mastered 
its  intelligence. 

"Oh,  Uncle  Robert !  "  she  exclaimed.  "You  remember 
seeing  Freddy  last  year  ?  " 

"I  remember  him  well,  my  dear.  He's  a  little  swab  ; 
but  I  always  thought  he  had  the  making  of  a  man  in  him, 
and  a  good  officer,  too.  I  gave  him  some  lessons  in 
navigation,"  replied  Bo's'n  Bob. 

"Yes.  He  was  very  grateful  to  you  for  your  kind- 
ness." 

"What  does  he  say,  my  dear?  " 

"  He  arrived  at  Southampton  last  night  in  time  for  the 
London  post,  and  I  may  expect  to  see  him  here  almost 
as  soon  as  his  letter." 

"That's  good  news,  sink  me,  if  it  isn't.  I  wonder  what 
he's  brought  you  from  South  Africa  ?  Something  choice, 
I'll  bet.  Perhaps  an  addition  to  the  menagerie." 

"  He  always  brings  some  thing." 

"May  be  an  elephant,  or  a  giraffe." 

"  Go  along  with  your  jokes,  uncle  ;  as  if  that  was  likely. 
What  he  will  bring  me,  I  expect,  is  a  box  of  ostrich 
feathers  ;  for  he  knows  I  am  fond  of  wearing  them  in 
my  hats." 

"  Ah  !  "  said  Bo's'n  Bob,  "you  like  to  go  to  church  on 
Sunday  morning,  and  cut  the  other  girls  out." 

"  1  want  to  look  nice,  that's  all.  Don't  be  so  rude, 
uncle,"  answered  Fanny. 

"  Lor'  bless  your  little  heart,  can't  you  take  a  joke?  I 
know  what  the  female  sex  is.  Their  failing  is  vanity." 

Fanny  looked  archly  at  Hunston. 

' '  Isn't  he  unkind  ?  "  she  asked.  "  If  I  try  to  make  my- 
self presentable,  he  calls  it  vanity." 

"  Proper  pride,  I  should  term  it,"  replied  Hunston.  "If 
you  were  my  sweetheart,  I  would  make  you  the  best- 
dressed  woman  in  the  parish." 

"Ah,  Fred  can't  do  that ;  besides,  I  should  not  want  it 
His  pay  is  small,"  she  remarked. 

"Ho!  ho!"  laughed  Bo's'n  Bob.  "Midshipman's 
pay  !  Ho  !  ho  !  " 

"What's  that,  uncle?" 

"More  kicks  than  ha'pence,  my  dear." 


036  JACK  HARK  A  WAY  AT  OXFORD. 

"  I  have  plenty  of  money,"  remarked  Hunston.  "In 
fact,  1  made  quite  a  little  fortune  abroad." 

"Where  was  that?"  enquired  Fanny,  innocently. 

"In  the  Straits  Settlements, "  Hunston  replied.  ' '  I  had 
an  opium  factory,  near  Singapore. " 

"Did  you?  Pardon  me  if  I  seem  rude — did  you  lose 
your  arm  there  ? " 

"Yes,  miss.  I  had  a  fracas  with  some  Chinese,  and 
got  shot  The  row  was  not  of  my  own  seeking,  it  was 
forced  upon  me." 

"  How  sad  !     Are  you  going  back  ?  " 

"On  the  contrary.  I  intend  to  settle  in  England,  and 
enjoy  my  small  fortune  with  some  nice  little  woman,  like 
you,  if  I  may  say  so." 

"Oh  !    Mr.  Hunston." 

"No  offence,  I  hope,  Miss  Turner." 

"You  forget,  sir,  that  I  am  engaged  to  Fred  Bird" 

"That  is  a  pity.  How  I  envy  him.  If  he  were  out  of 
the  way,  do  you  think  you  could  care  for  me  ?  " 

"It  is  impossible,"  she  cried.  "Fred  will  be  here 
directly.  To  put  such  a  question  is  an  insult  !  " 

"  I  did  not  mean  it  so." 

"  If  you  are  not  more  careful,  I  shall  speak  to  father, 
and  your  stay  here  will  not  be  of  long  duration." 

Saying  this,  Fanny  quitted  the  room. 

Hunston  bit  his  lips  with  vexation. 

"What  did  I  tell  you?"  demanded  Bo's'n  Bob. 
"There's  no  chance  for  you,  so  long  as  this  snipe  of  a 
midshipmite  is  in  the  way." 

"What  can  we  do  with  him ? " 

' '  Get  rid  of  the  fellow.  I  will  help  you  to  clear  the 
path.  In  me,  you  have  a  firm  friend.  He  will  be  here 
soon  ;  you  mnst  be  civil  to  him.''' 

"  How  can  I  ?  ". 

"  Don't  provoke  his  hostility  ;  leave  him  to  me.  You 
shall  have  a  fair  field  and  favour  in  plenty.  It  will  be  an 
ironclad  to  a  cockle-shell,  my  friend." 

"  Explain  yourself,  a  little  more  fully." 

"As  you  press  me,  I  will,"  said  Bo's'n  Bob.  "To- 
night, when  all  is  still,  I  mean  to  rob  my  brother.  I  will 
have  his  hoard.  A  portion  of  it — very  small,  mind  you 
. — I  intend  to  put  in  this  young  man's  clothes  while  he  is 
asleep.  He  shall  have  articles  of  jewellery,  such  as 


fACK  HARKA  WAY  AT  OXFORD. 


237 


watches  and  rings,  w.hich  I  know  Tom  has  got,  because 
I  have  seen  them.  When  the  robbery  is  discovered,  the 
property  will  be  found  on  him." 

"And  you " 

"  Oh,"  interrupted  Bo's'n  Bob,  "  I  shall  hide  the  rest  of 
the  plunder  under  a  tree  in  the  front  garden  where  I  can 
dig  it  up  when  I  want  it  in  a  few  days." 

"It  seems  rather  a  wild  plan." 

"Not  at  all.  'Vast  heaving,  I  know  what  I  am  about. 
The  police  will  think  young  Fred  Bird  has  a  confederate." 

"Will  they  not  suspect  us?  "  continued  Hunston. 

"  How  can  they,  when  the  young  man  will  be  found  to 
have  a  part  of  the  property  on  him  ?  " 

Hunston  shook  his  head. 

"  It's  a  bad  scheme.     I  don't  like  it,"  he  rejoined. 

"Why  not,  shipmate?" 

"It  will  get  us  into  trouble,  I  fear.  If  it  were  not  foi 
Fanny's  pretty  face,  I  would  be  off  to-day  ;  but  by  heaven, 
she  holds  me  like  a  magnet." 

"You  could  not  get  away  yet  if  you  wanted  to." 

"  Do  you  think  so?" 

"  Your  enemy,  Harkaway,  will  have  all  the  ships 
watched,  until  he  gets  tired  of  it,  and  gives  the  chase  up 
as  a  bad  job,"  exclaimed  Bo's'n  Bob. 

"Perhaps  you  are  right." 

"I  know  I  am." 

Hunston  looked  out  of  the  window  with  a  gloomy  air. 

It  seemed  as  if  Fate  was  always  against  him  of  late. 

"Look here,  shipmate,"  continued  Bo's'n  Bob,  "you've 
got  to  leave  every  thing  to  me.  When  I've  made  my 
haul,  I'm  off,  and  you  can  have  the  girl." 

"Suppose  she  won't  have  me  ?  " 

"That  is  your  lookout.  When  this  midshipmite's 
in  prison,  you  will  be  able  to  make  love  to  her  without 
interference.  She  will  know  nothing  about  your  char- 
acter. Who  is  going  to  give  her  your  pedigree  ?  " 

Hunston  made  no  reply. 

He  was  afraid  that  his  friend's  plot  was  full  of  danger, 
and  saw  breakers  and  rocks  ahead. 

His  ship  was  in  a  safe  haven  at  present,  but  how  long 
would  it  remain  so  ?  " 

There  was  no  rest  for  the  sole  of  his  foot 

He  was  a  hunted  man. 


438  JACK  HA RKA  WAY  AT  OXFORD. 

A  weary  silence  ensued. 

It  was  interrupted  by  a  cheery  voice  in  the  passage 
exclaiming — 

"Mr.  Turner — Fanny — where  are  you  all  ?  The  front 
door  is  open,  and  I  can't  see  any  one." 

The  next  moment  a  blue-eyed,  curly-haired  young 
fellow  entered  the  parlour. 

"Hope  I  don't  intrude?"  he  said;  adding,  "Hullo! 
Uncle  Bob,  is  that  you  ?  " 

"The  very  same,  Fred,"  replied  the  bo's'n.  "  I  an't 
seen  you  for  nigh  upon  a  year.  Give  us  your  fin." 

They  shook  hands  together. 

"I'm  glad  to  see  you  in  port  again,"  continued  the  old 
sailor,  with  a  genial  air.  "Sit  down,  my  hearty.  This 
is  my  friend,  Mr.  Hunston  ;  he  is  staying  here  for  a  spell. 
Mr.  Fred  Bird — Mr.  Hunston.  Now  you  know  one 
another." 

The  newcomer  bowed  politely  to  Hunston. 

"I  am  glad  to  make  your  acquaintance,"  he  said. 

Fanny  had  heard  his  voice. 

She  had  been  with  her  father  in  the  menagerie,  feeding 
and  attending  to  the  beasts,  birds,  and  reptiles,  but  with 
a  quick  step  she  rushed  into  the  room,  followed  by  the 
proprietor  of  the  "  Noah's  Ark." 

Fred  Bird  clasped  her  in  his  strong,  manly  arms. 

"  Here  I  am,  darling,"  he  cried,  "back  again,  hale  and 
hearty.  How  are  you,  Fan — and  you,  Mr.  Turner? 
But  I  needn't  ask,  you  both  look  the  picture  of  health 
and  happiness." 

"Thank  you,  my  lad,"  answered  Tom  Turner.  "I 
can't  complain  ;  the  world  uses  me  pretty  well." 

It  need  not  be  said  that  the  young  sailor  was  treated 
to  the  best  reception  that  could  be  given  him. 

After  an  excellent  dinner,  Fred  took  Fanny  on  the  river 
in  a  boat,  and  in  the  evening,  Tom  Turner  reached  down 
his  old-fashioned  punch-bowl  from  the  top  shelf  of  the 
store  cupboard,  and  brewed  a  strong  concoction  of  rum, 
water  and  lemon. 

Everyone  was  merry  ;  even  Hunston  threw  of  his 
habitual  gloom,  as  he  looked  at  the  sweet  face  of  Fanny, 
hoping  that  she  might  yet  be  his. 

But,  alas  !  his  fateful  presence  was  to  throw  a  pall-like 
gloom  over  that  happy  home. 


JA  CK  HARKA  WAY  AT  OXFORD.  239 

The  very  air  was  to  tremble  with  horror  before  the 
night  was  over. 

Very  soon  the  potency  of  the  rum-punch  made  itself 
felt  by  those  who  consumed  it,  not  wisely,  but  too  copi- 
ously. 

Old  Tom  Turner  and  Freddy  Bird  were  the  first  to 
succumb. 

Hunston  and  Bo's'n  Bob  very  considerately  assisted 
them  to  bed. 

Fanny  remained  awhile,  talking  to  the  two  men,  when 
she  also  retired,  leaving  them  to  come  when  they  liked 

She  slept  on  the  ground  floor,  as  did  Bo's'n  Bob  and 
Hunston  ;  old  Tom  Turner  had  a  room  on  the  floor  above, 
and  an  adjoining  one  was  given  to  Fred. 

It  is  important  to  remember  this  arrangement,  to  under- 
stand all  that  follows. 

"Will  you  have  another  glass  ? "  asked  Hunston,  point- 
ing to  the  punch. 

Bo's'n  Bob  shook  his  head. 

"Don't  press  me.  I  want  to  keep  cool  and  know  what 
I  am  doing  of,"  he  rejoined.  "Old  Tom's  gone  up  top- 
heavy,  and  Fred's  half  seas  over.  It  don't  do  for  us  to 
follow  such  a  bad  example. " 

"  When  do  you  commence  your  operations?  " 

' '  About  twelve,  when  all  is  quiet.  It  will  be  all  a  lark 
to-morrow,  when  the  robbery  is  discovered,  and  part  of 
the  missing  stuff  is  found  in  Fred's  clothes.  Brother  Tom 
will  think  he's  hidden  the  rest,  or  that  he  has  an  accom- 
plice ;  and,  that  his  motive  is  a  wish  to  marry  on  an 
income  at  once.  He  will  think  lots  of  things." 

"  I  hope  it  will  come  off  all  right,"  said  Hunston. 

He  sighed  deeply,  wishing  that  Bob  Turner  had  never 
brought  him  to  the  old  "Noah's  Ark." 

If  he  had  not  seen  Fanny's  face,  he  could  have  gone  on 
his  way,  uncaring,  and  uncared  for  ;  unloving,  and  un- 
loved ;  but  she  had  made  such  an  impression  upon  him, 
that  he  could  not  forget  her. 

Suddenly,  an  old  Dutch  clock,  which  had  once  belonged 
to  Tom  Turner's  grandfather,  struck  the  hour  of  mid- 
night. 

Bob  counted  each  beat  as  it  chimed  forth  the  hour, 
remaining  motionless  until  the  last  stroke  had  died  away. 

Holding  up  his  finger,  he  whispered — "Time  !  " 


240  JA  CK  HARK  A  WAY  AT  OXFORD. 

Rising  from  his  seat,  he  extinguished  the  lamp,   and 
went  into  his  bedroom  adjoining. 

Hunston,  with  a  palpitating  heart,  walked  after  him. 


CHAPTER  XC. 

THE    MIDNIGHT    CRIME. 

As  there  was  nothing  for  him  to  do,  Hunston  got  into 
the  double  bed,  while  Bo's'n  Bob  removed  his  boots  for 
fear  of  making  any  noise  and  groped  his  way  up  stairs. 

He  was  going  to  rob  his  too-confiding  brother. 

All  was  still  as  death. 

The  moon  and  stars  were  shining,  so  that  he  did  not 
want  a  light  for  his  nefarious  work. 

"What  a  fool  I  am,"  mused  Hunston.  "That  girl  will 
lead  me  to  my  doom.  Yet  I  want  the  graces  of  life.  I 
want  a  sweet,  innocent  wife — a  child  to  love  and  love 
me.  I  want  the  peace  of  the  country,  the  birds,  and  the 
flowers.  Why  should  I  be  a  friendless  wanderer  all  my 
life  ? " 

Ah  !  why  ? 

He  had  only  to  ask  himself  the  bitter  question,  to  get 
the  crushing  answer. 

As  he  sowed,  so  he  must  reap. 

He  had  been  a  bad  man,  and  had  chosen  the  broad 
path  that  leads  to  destruction. 

It  is  not  impossible  to  redeem  a  wicked  past ;  but,  oh  ! 
so  hard. 

Bo's'n  Bob  was  up  stairs  for  about  a  quarter  of  an  hour. 

He  came  down,  went  into  the  garden,  and  returned  to 
the  bedroom, 

"Well?"  ejaculated  Hunston,  in  an  undertone. 

"Every  thing  has  gone  off  A  i,  copper-bottomed!" 
replied  Bob  Turner,  with  a  grin. 

"  Have  you  done  the  trick? " 

"I  didn't  get  all  the  money.  Brother  Tom  moved  un- 
easily in  his  bed,  and  I  was  afraid  ;  but  I  obtained  a 
canvas  bag  full  of  gold,  which  I  buried  just  now  under 
the  apple-tree  in  the  front  garden." 


JA  CK  HARK  A  WAY  AT  OXFORD.  241 

"  How  did  you  get  at  the  box  ?  " 

"  Found  the  key  in  his  trousers  pocket — put  it  in  Freddy 
Bird's,  with  a  handful  of  sovereigns  and  some  old  jewel- 
lery," said  Bob. 

" Good  scheme,  that." 

"Oh,  yes.  It  will  be  discovered  to-morrow.  Brother 
Tom  wakes  early.  He  looks  at  his  miser's  hoard  the  first 
thing  before  he  comes  down  stairs." 

"What  will  be  the  result?  "  asked  Hunston. 

"He  will  have  all  in  the  house  searched.  The  pro- 
perty will  be  found  on  the  little  midshipmite,  and  he  will 
go  to  prison.  Then  is  your  chance  with  Fanny. " 

"It  looks  well  enough." 

"  Don't  fear ;  I'm  no  fool.  Get  in  closer;  I'm  going 
to  sleep." 

"With  a  good  conscience  ?  " 

"Bah!  I  don't  know  what  that  means,"  answered 
Bo's'n  Bob,  with  a  look  of  supreme  contempt. 

In  a  short  time  they  fell  asleep. 

How  long  they  slept  they  did  not  know,  but  they  were 
rudely  awakened  by  the  voice  of  old  Tom  Turner. 

He  seemed  to  be  greatly  exercised  in  his  mind. 

"Thieves  !  "  he  cried.  "I've  been  robbed !  Wake  up, 
all  of  you.  Thieves  !  Robbers  !  Help  !  " 

Bo's'n  Bob  jumped  out  of  bed. 

"Now  for  it,"  he  said. 

He  hastily  slipped  his  clothes  on,  and  Hunston  did  the 
same. 

Tom  Turner  rushed  into  the  room. 

"What's  up  ?  "  asked  Bob,  rubbing  his  eyes. 

"I've  been  robbed,  brother,"  was  the  reply. 

' '  Never  !  " 

"Yes,  robbed  in  the  night.  My  strongbox  has  been 
opened,  and  a  part  of  the  contents  taken  away." 

"  I  did  not  know  you  kept  money  in  the  house.  It's  a 
very  foolish  thing  to  do." 

"  It  ought  to  have  been  safe  enough,"  replied  the  old 
naturalist.  "  I  shall  search  every  one." 

' '  Certainly.     Begin  with  me." 

"I  will.     My  own  daughter  shall  not  be  excepted." 

"  Go  on  ;  you  are  welcome.  Wish  I  may  drop  if  I've 
had  a  hand  in  it." 

"Or  I,"  said  Hunston. 
16 


242  JA  CK  HARK  A  WAY  AT  OXFORD. 

"I  accuse  nobody;  but  I  mean  to  find  the  thief,  and 
punish  him." 

"Quite  right;  that's  the  style.  I'm  honest,  brother 
Tom,  and  should  not  like  to  be  suspected,"  remarked 
Bo's'n  Bob. 

"  My  character  is  above  suspicion,"  observed  Hunston. 

"I  say  nothing  against  nobody,"  answered  the  pro- 
prietor of  the  ' Noah's  Ark ' ;  "but  I  mean  having  a  close 
search  at  once." 

He  began  by  feeling  in  the  pockets  of  the  men's  clothes, 
looking  in  and  under  the  beds,  moving  the  furniture,  and 
even  the  carpets. 

Of  course  he  found  nothing. 

His  trouble  was  all  in  vain. 

"Give  me  your  hands,"  he  said.      "You're  not  in  it" 

"As  if  we  should  be,  brother,"  replied  Bob. 

"I'm sorry  I  had  to  do  it." 

"  Perhaps  thieves  came  in  during  the  night." 

"The  doors  and  windows  are  all  fastened  safely.  Now 
for  my  daughter." 

Fanny  met  him  at  the  door. 

"  Whatever  is  the  fuss  about,  father  ? ';  she  asked. 

"I've  been  robbed  in  the  night,  my  child;  basely, 
cruelly  robbed  !  " 

"Don't  say  that." 

"  I'm  on  the  search.     Come  with  me  into  your  room." 

"With  pleasure;  but " 

"Not  a  word,"  interrupted  Tom  Turner.  "These 
two  are  guiltless.  You  next ;  then  the  one  up  stairs." 

Fred  Bird  had  not  been  disturbed  by  the  noise. 

He  was  sleeping  too  soundly. 

Though  much  annoyed  and  concerned,  Fanny  sub- 
mitted to  the  ordeal  with  a  good  grace. 

In  reality,  she  was  as  nervous  and  frightened  as  a  bird. 

She  thought  that  the  burglary  had  been  committed  by 
a  person  or  persons  from  outside  the  house. 

Not  for  a  moment  did  she  imagine  that  the  crime  would 
be  fastened  upon  Fred  Bird. 

When  he  was  perfectly  satisfied  that  his  daughter  had 
Mot  robbed  him,  old  Tom  Turner  went  up  stairs. 

Nobody  followed  him. 

The  three  waited  for  the  result  in  the  passage. 

Not  a  word  was  spoken. 


JA  CK  HARK  A  WAY  AT  OXFORD.  243 

Bo's'n  Bob  and  Hunston  were  like  mutes. 

Fanny  kept  on  crying  and  wiping  her  reddened  eyes. 

Presently  they  heard  Tom  Turner's  voice  raised  in 
anger. 

He  seemed  to  be  furious  with  passion. 

"You  young  scoundrel!"  he  shouted  "Viper!  scor- 
pion !  you  have  robbed  me !  The  money  is  in  your 
pockets,  or  part  of  it.  What  have  you  done  with  the 
rest?  Here  is  the  key  of  the  box.  Oh,  you  villain  ! 
You  meant  to  take  the  remainder  another  time.  Truly,  I 
have  nourished  a  viper.  I  have  warmed  you  only  to 
sting  me,  to  rob  me  of  my  hard-earned  money,  and  to 
deprive  me  of  my  daughter.  Get  up,  you  wretch  !  I 
will  call  the  police.  Revenge — revenge  !  " 

Then  the  young  midshipman  was  heard. 

"  How  dare  you  call  me  a  thief?  "  he  asked. 

' '  You  are. " 

"  I  never  stole  a  halfpenny  from  anybody  in  my  life." 

"Liar  and  thief!"  screamed  the  old  man,  hoarsely. 
"  I  have  the  proofs  here — right  before  my  eyes — here  !  " 

"What  are  you  talking  about?  " 

"Look,  look!  Money,  jewellery,  key — all  from  my 
strong  box — in  the  pockets  of  your  clothes." 

"I  can  not  understand  it.  As  heaven  hears  me,  lam 
innocent  ! " 

"Prove  it" 

"You  prove  that  I  am  guilty." 

"The  proof  is  before  me.  Dress  while  I  call  a  police- 
man and  give  you  in  charge.  Oh,  you  wretched  im- 
postor !  You  wanted  to  run  off  with  my  money  and  also 
my  daughter  ! " 

"Really,  Mr.  Turner,  you  must  be  mad." 

"  Ha,  ha  !  we  will  see  about  that." 

The  naturalist  threw  up  the  window. 
"Police  !  Thieves  !  Police  !  "  he  yelled. 

A  constable  happened  to  be  passing,  and  attracted  by 
the  vociferous  cries,  he  entered  the  house. 

He  walked  past  those  in  the  passage  of  the  "Noah's 
Ark  "  without  saying  a  word,  and  went  up  stairs. 

Old  Turner  held  Fred  Bird  by  the  arm. 

"  What  is  it  ?  "  asked  the  constable. 

"Robbery  in  the  night,  that's  what  it  is,"  was  tkc 
reply. 


244  /«<  CK  HARK  A  WAY  AT  OXFORD. 

i(  Who  do  you  allege  is  the  thief?  " 

"This  one." 

"Will  you  charge  him?  " 

"Yes.  I'll  show  him  no  mercy.  Part  of  my  money 
and  jewellery  I  have  found  in  his  clothes.  The  other  he 
has  hidden,  and  I  will  lock  him  up." 

The  policeman  looked  severely  at  Fred 

"  You  will  have  to  come  with  me,"  he  said. 

"I  am  innocent,"  replied  the  young  man,  who  was 
trembling  violently. 

The  whole  thing  had  come  upon  him  as  a  surprise. 

He  was  disgraced,  and  in  the  eyes  his  sweetheart,  too. 

' '  Take  him  away  !  "  cried  Turner. 

"You  will  have  to  come  to  the  station/'  answered  the 
policeman. 

"  I  know  that.     Off  with  him." 

"Look  here,"  exclaimed  Fred  Bird,  "I've  only  just 
come  ashore  from  a  long  voyage,  and " 

"The  less  you  say,  the  better,"  interrupted  the  police- 
man, "for  it  will  be  used  in  evidence  against  you.  I'm 
bound  to  give  you  this  caution.  Corne  along." 

Biting  his  lips  until  the  blood  came,  Fred  allowed  him- 
self to  be  taken  down  the  stairs. 

Fanny  was  weeping  bitterly. 

' '  Oh,  father, "  she  sobbed,  ' '  you  can't  think  he  did  it ! " 

"  Didn't  I  find  my  property — or  a  part  of  what  is  miss- 
ing— and  the  key  of  my  strong  box,  in  his  clothes  ?  He 
meant  having  the  rest  before  the  day  was  out.  Oh,  the 
scamp  !  "  said  Turner. 

"  I  shall  never  believe  him  guilty." 

Fred  Bird  thanked  her  with  a  glance. 

"What  more  proof  do  you  require?"  asked  Turner. 

Fanny  made  no  reply. 

The  circumstances  looked  very  black  against  her  lover. 

"  He'll  go  to  prison  for  some  years,  I'll  warrant 
You'll  not  see  him  again,  my  girl,  so  you  had  best  look 
out  for  another  lover,"  continued  her  father. 

"  It's  a  clear  case,"  remarked  Bo's'n  Bob ;  "though  I'm 
sorry  to  say  it." 

"  I'm  afraid  so,"  observed  Hunston.  "Come  into  the 
parlour,  Miss  Turner.  You  look  as  if  you  were  about  to 
faint." 

"Thank  you  ;  I  feel  so  ill,"  Fanny  answered. 


JACK  HARK  A  WAY  AT  OXFORD. 


245 


She  advanced  a  few  paces. 

Her  pallor  increased,  she  tottered,  and  fell  in  a  dead 
swoon. 

Hunston  caught  her  in  his  one  arm,  and  conveyed  her 
fo  a  sofa. 

Meanwhile  the  policeman  pushed  Fred  out  of  the  house, 
the  last  look  he  had  of  his  sweetheart  showing  him  that 
Hunston  was  bending  over  her,  and  inhaling  the  per- 
fume of  her  breath. 

This  was  very  galling  to  Fred  ;  but  retribution  was 
soon  to  come  in  a  form  that  Hunston  little  dreamed  of. 

The  policeman  conducted  his  prisoner  to  the  station, 
old  Turner  following  him. 

A  charge  of  robbery  was  made. 

"  I  want  to  ask  a  few  questions,"  said  the  inspector  on 
duty. 

'  As  many  as  you  like,"  Tom  Turner  replied. 
'  Have  you  anyone  else  staying  in  your  house?  " 
My  brother  Bob  and  a  friend  of  his." 
What  is  his  name  ?  " 
Hunston." 

The  inspector  looked  at  some  printed  papers  lying  on 
his  desk. 

A  smile  stole  over  his  face. 

"Is  he  a  one-armed  man  ?  "  he  asked. 

"Yes,  sir." 

"That  will  do;  I  take  the  charge.  Conduct  the 
prisoner  to  the  cells.  Good-day,  Mr.  Turner." 

The  old  man  went  away. 

Fred  was  conveyed  to  a  cell,  prostrate  with  shame  and 
grief. 

He  had  not  the  pluck  to  say  a  word. 

This  sudden  calamity  had  crushed  him. 

He  knew  it  was  a  plot,  but  how  could  he  vindicate  his 
character  and  prove  his  innocence? 

Every  thing  looked  as  black  as  night  against  him. 

When  the  inspector  was  alone,  he  began  to  read  a 
printed  bill,  which  ran  as  follows  : — 

"£50  REWARD. — A  young,  one-armed  man,  named 
Hunston,  is  wanted  by  the  Oxford  police.  The  above 
sum  will  be  paid  to  any  one  who  will  give  information 
leading  to  his  apprehension.  Apply  to  the  officer  on  duty 
at  the  Leman  Street  Police-station, Whitechapel,  London.* 


2  46  JA  CK  HARK  A  WAY  AT  OXFORD. 

This  was  the  bill  that  Harkaway  had  caused  to  be 
issued. 

Up  to  this  time  it  had  not  led  to  any  result. 

The  inspector  did  not  consider  that,  by  the  terms  of  the 
bill,  he  was  called  upon  to  arrest  the  man  advertised  for. 

It  was  simply  information  that  was  asked  for. 

Going  to  the  telegraphic  apparatus,  with  which  each 
police-station  is  now  provided,  he  clicked  the  needle,  and 
put  himself  in  communication  with  Leman  Street,  White- 
chapel. 

"Are  you  there  ?  "  he  asked 

"Yes,"  was  the  reply.      "  Speak." 

"I  claim  the  reward  of  £50  for  one-armed  man,  Hun- 
ston,  wanted  by  Oxford  police. " 

"  Good.     What  name  ?  " 

"Simpson." 

"  Noted.     WThere  is  one-armed  man  ?  " 

"Two  streets  from  here,  by  river  side.  In  house  of 
Turner,  naturalist,  called  'Noah's  Ark.'" 

"Right." 

"Look  sharp  ;  may  bolt" 

"Watch  house." 

Simpson  rubbed  his  hands  gleefully,  as  if  he  concluded 
that  he  had  done  a  good  day's  work. 

He  was  a  saving  man,  and  fifty  pounds  added  to  his 
bank  account  would  be  very  acceptable. 

He  called  a  reserve  man  named  Murphy  from  the 
reading-room  in  the  station. 

"You  will  go  to  Turner's,  the  naturalist's,  and  watch 
the  house  till  relieved." 

"Yes,  Misther  Inspector,"  replied  Murphy,  who  was 
an  Irishman.  "  An'  is  it  a  bird,  baste,  or  fish  that  I'll  be 
afther  watching  ? " 

"Neither." 

"Thin  perhaps  it's  the  ould  man  himself.  I've  always 
thought  he  was  a  recaver  of  stolen  goods. " 

"  It's  a  man  with  one  arm  you've  got  to  look  for.  If 
he  leaves  the  house,  you  must  follow  him.  Don't  let  him 
out  of  your  sight.  Should  he  show  fight,  collar  him." 

"Indade,  an'  it's  meself  that  will  do  that  same  thing, 
sorr." 

Murphy  buckled  on  his  staff  and  walked  to  the  old 
house,  which  he  knew  well. 


JA  CK  HA  RKA  WAY  AT  OXFORD.  247 

Several  members  of  the  force  in  his  division  were  very 
fond  of  bird-keeping,  and  they  all  dealt  with  Tom  Turner. 

He  had  purchased  a  goldfinch  and  a  skylark  from  him. 

"  I'm  the  man  selected  for  special  duty,"  remarked 
Murphy,  proudly.  "The  inspector  can  see  that  I  keep 
myself  up  to  date.  An',  bedade,  they  may  well  say,  '  If 
you  want  to  know  the  time,  ask  a  policeman.'  " 

Arriving  opposite  the  "Noah's  Ark,"  he  posted  himself 
in  such  a  position  that  no  one  could  leave  the  house  with- 
out being  seen  by  him. 

Tom  Turner  had  returned,  and  was  in  his  bedroom, 
overhauling  the  iron-bound  trunk,  reckoning  up  how  much 
he  had  lost. 

It  was  a  large  sum. 

He  bewailed  his  fate  bitterly,  moaning  over  his  missing 
gold  and  jewellery  like  the  miser  he  was. 

Meanwhile,  Bo's'n  Bob  had  been  busy  in  the  garden, 
digging  up  what  he  had  hidden  during  the  night. 

This  he  concealed  in  his  various  pockets,  determining 
to  get  off  as  quickly  as  possible. 

He  had  an  idea  that  in  the  end  Fred  would  prove  his 
innocence,  and  that  it  was  not  safe  for  him  to  stay. 

His  quick  eyes  had  noticed  the  form  of  Murphy  outside, 
and  he  felt  sure  that  the  house  w:.o  "shadowed,"  as  it  is 
termed. 

"  I'll  be  off  and  away,"  he  mut'ered.  "  Where's  agood 
place  to  lay  off  for  a  time  ?  Grc.veseiid,  I  reckon,  will 
do.  I'll  go  down  there.  No  occasion  to  say  good-bye 
to  Hunston.  He's  nothing  to  me.  The  fool  is  in  love. 
Ha,  ha  !  I  laugh  at  such  weakness." 

The  rascal  was  never  in  love  with  any  one  but  him- 
self. 

"No,  no,"  he  added,  "no  women  and  children  for  me 
to  keep.  I  stand  alone.  There  is  only  one  of  me,  and  I 
like  him.  That's  a  sentiment  I  could  set  to  music.  Wife, 
indeed  !  Bah  !  I  should  be  a  boiled  owl  to  think  of  such 
a  thing." 

With  a  cunning  leer  and  a  jaunty  air  he  left  the  house. 

Murphy  looked  at  him,  but  as  he  had  two  arms  he  did 
not  consider  it  his  duty  to  interfere  with  him. 

He  was  clearly  not  the  man  wanted. 

Hunston  did  not  think  of  Bo's'n  Bob.  In  fact,  he  did 
not  care  if  he  never  saw  him  again. 


248  JA  CK  HARK  A  WAY  AT  OXFORD. 

His  whole  mind  was  concentrated  upon  Fanny,  and 
how  to  win  her. 

They  were  still  in  the  parlour  together. 

She  has  recovered  from  her  swoon,  and  was  for  a  mo- 
ment surprised  when  she  came  to  herself  to  find  her  hand 
clasped  in  that  of  Hunston. 

A  moment's  reflection  recalled  all  that  had  happened. 

"  I  shall  never  see  him  again.  They  will  send  him  to 
prison,"  she  sobbed. 

"  Why  did  he  do  it  ?  "  Hunston  replied.  ' '  Shall  I  tell 
you  ?  It  was  a  deep  plot ;  he  loves  another. " 

"  How  do  you  know  ?  "  asked  Fanny  Turner. 

"  He  told  your  uncle  and  me  so.  He  laughed  in  his 
sleeve,  saying  that  he  only  came  to  London  to  make  a 
fool  of  you,  and  so,  through  you,  to  rob  the  old  man, 
your  father. " 

' '  Is  this  true  ?    Can  it  be  so  ?  " 

' '  I  swear  it. " 

' '  Then  I  must  think  of  him  no  more. " 

"  He  is  unworthy  of  any  solicitude  on  your  part.  For- 
get him.  Let  me  be  your  protector  in  future.  Oh, 
Fanny  !  if  you  will  be  mine,  I  will  promise  you  every 
happiness.  Dear  love,  be  mine !  I  have  money.  We 
will  go  to  a  fairer  clime,  and  your  life  shall  be  one  constant 
round  of  bliss." 

"  He  loves  another !  Fred  cares  not  for  me  !  "  mused 
Fanny.  "Then  I  shall  not  care  for  him.  Where  is  this 
rival  ? " 

"At  Southampton.  Forget  him,  I  say.  Fly  with  me 
now." 

' '  But  my  father " 

"  His  money  and  menagerie  are  all  he  cares  for.  What 
are  you — a  daughter  or  a  slave  ?  Do  you  dress  ?  No. 
Do  you  ever  go  out  or  have  any  recreation  ?  No." 

"It  is  true.  I  will  place  myself  in  your  hands;  do 
what  you  like  with  me.  I  will  trust  in  your  love  and  youi 
honour,"  said  Fanny. 

Hunston's  eyes  flashed  with  triumph. 

After  all,  Bo's'n  Bob's  scheme  had  succeeded. 

Fanny  Turner  had  fallen  into  his  hands  like  a  ripe  plum 
off  a  tree  just  stirred  by  the  wind. 

Outside  the  house,  on  the  river  front,  were  some  stairs 


JACK  HARKA  WAY  AT  OXFORD,  249 

which  led  to  the  water,  and  there  a  boatman  was  always 
plying  for  hire. 

He  was  not  one  of  Dibdin's  famous  "jolly  young 
watermen,"  who  so  merrily  rowed  the  great  City  ladies 
in  days  gone  by,  but  a  middle-aged  man,  who  kept  a  wife 
and  family  by  ferrying  people  across  the  Thames,  or  row- 
ing them  to  any  place  to  which  they  wanted  to  go. 

Hunston  had  remarked  this  man. 

He  thought  it  would  be  a  good  plan  to  hire  him  to  take 
them  some  distance  down  the  river. 

They  could  alight  at  some  quiet  spot,  secure  lodgings 
for  the  night,  and  obtain  a  special  licence  to  be  married 
on  the  morrow. 

Then  for  a  time  he  would  go  abroad  with  his  young 
wife. 

He  explained  his  scheme  to  Fanny,  who  approved  it. 

Every  thing  seemed  to  be  going  well  for  Hunston 
now. 

Fanny  put  on  her  hat  and  jacket,  making  up^  parcel 
of  a  few  things  she  would  require. 

It  was  not  much  that  she  had  in  the  way  of  clothes, 
for  her  father  hated  to  spend  money  upon  her,  though  he 
made  her  work  hard  enough. 

"Wait  a  moment,"  said  Hunston,  when  they  were  all 
in  readiness.  "  Let  me  see  if  the  coast  is  clear." 

"My  father "  she  gasped,  nervously. 

"  Is  up  stains. " 

"If  he  knew  what  I  was  about  to  do,  he  would  kill 
me." 

"  He  will  forgive  you,  my  own.  In  time  we  will  come 
back  to  him,  when  his  rage  shall  have  passed  away.  I 
will  look  out  of  the  back  window  to  see  if  the  boat  is 
there. " 

Fanny  Turner  pressed  her  hand  to  her  heart. 

It  was  beating  so  hard  that  she  could  scarcely  breathe. 

Hunston  advanced  to  the  window. 

He  uttered  a  loud  cry. 

Looking  in  upon  him  was  the  black,  grinning  face  of 
Monday. 

"Oh,  heaven  !  "  cried  Hunston. 

Dashing  past  Fanny,  the  wretched  man  went  to  the 
front  door. 

Standing  on  the  threshold  was  Harkaway. 


350  JACK  HARK  A  WAY  AT  OXFORD. 

In  his  hand  he  held  a  pistol. 

This  was  a  fresh  and  startling  surprise. 

Baffled  again,  Hunston  ran  to  the  back  door. 

Here,  to  his  utter  confusion  and  dismay,  was  Harvey, 
armed  with  a  big  American  bull-dog  revolver. 

His  enemies  had  found  him  out  in  the  hour  of  triumph. 

It  appeared  to  him,  at  that  critical  moment,  that  his 
last  hope  was  gone. 

Darting  back,  he  ran  into  the  kitchen. 

On  the  table  was  a  large  piece  of  raw  meat  weighing 
several  pounds,  which  Turner  had  bought  to  feed  his 
animals  with. 

He  took  it  up. 

As  his  exit  was  blocked,  Hunston  conceived  the  idea 
of  hiding  in  the  menagerie. 

He  lost  no  time  in  executing  it. 

Before  Harvey  could  follow  him,  he  entered  the  large 
shed  where  the  naturalist  kept  his  collection. 

On  one  side  was  a  capacious  wooden  cage,  with  iron 
bars  in  front. 

It  contained  two  hyenas. 

They  were  in  the  front  of  the  cage,  impatiently  barking 
and  laughing,  as  these  creatures  will  when  it  is  their 
feeding-time. 

Behind  was  their  sleeping-place,  partitioned  off,  lined 
with  straw,  and  having  a  door  big  enough  for  a  man  to 
creep  in  at. 

Hunston  hastily  opened  this  cage,  and  threw  the  meat 
to  the  hyenas. 

They  eagerly  fell  upon  it,  tooth  and  nail. 

He  knew  they  were  cowardly  creatures,  who  would  no 
more  harm  a  man  than  a  jackal. 

Crawling  into  the  cage,  he  crept  into  the  sleeping-den, 
curled  himself  upon  the  straw,  and  remained  still. 

He  had  not  neglected  to  close  the  door. 

"  Heaven  help  me  !  "  he  groaned  ;  "  if  I  have  any  right 
to  call  upon  heaven  for  help,  which  I  fear  I  have  not.  I 
have  forfeited  that." 

The  din  made  by  the  inmates  of  the  "Noah's  Ark" 
effectually  prevented  him  from  hearing  any  thing  that  was 
going  on  outside. 

Monkeys  chattered,  birds  sang,  cockatoos  screeched, 
parrots  talked,  and  snakes  hissed. 


JA  CK  HA  RKA  IV A  Y  A  7  OXFORD.  35  jr 

Tremblingly  he  awaited  the  sequel. 
It  was  a  strange  position  to  be  in,  but  for  the  time  he 
was  safe. 


CHAPTER  XCI. 

HUNSTON     IN    DANGER. 

JACK  HARKAWAY,  Harvey,  and  Monday  had  been  waiting 
patiently  for  news  of  Hunston  at  their  city  hotel. 

They  were  sure  that  it  would  come  in  time. 

Owing  to  the  fact  of  his  only  having  one  arm,  he  was 
a  singular  man,  and  could  not  help  attracting  notice. 

When  the  inspector  of  police  at  Shadwell  wired  to 
Leman  Street,  Whitechapel,  the  superintendent  there  at 
once  sent  a  messenger  to  Jack. 

The  latter  lost  no  time  in  taking  a  cab,  and,  with  his 
friends,  finding  out  the  "Noah's  Ark." 

They  did  not  bring  any  policemen  with  them. 

It  was  Jack's  idea  that  he  should  like  to  capture  his  old 
enemy  with  only  the  aid  of  Harvey  and  Monday. 

They  had  surrounded  the  house,  as  we  have  described. 

Jack  was  just  about  to  enter  when  Hunston  met  him 
in  the  doorway. 

When  his  unexpected  presence  caused  Hunston  to  dart 
back,  Jack  called  to  Murphy,  whom  he  thought  to  be  the 
constable  on  duty. 

"Keep  your  eyes  open,  and  don't  let  a  one-armed  man 
escape,"  he  cried. 

"Them's  my  orders,  sorr,"  was  the  reply. 

"Knock  him  down  with  your  truncheon." 

"  Two  hands  is  better  nor  one.  He  won't  have  much 
chance,  be  jabers  !  " 

"  I  hold  you  answerable,  also  I  will  reward  you." 

"  It's  the  rale  gintleman  yez  are,  sorr,  and  I'm  sure  it's 
a  pleasure  to  mate  with  yez.  In  the  force  we  git  more 
kicks  than  ha'pence,  and  it's  seldom  we  see  the  price  of 
a  dhrop  of  the  crather. " 

Jack  did  not  stay  to  listen  to  him. 

He  hastened  into  the  house,  meeting  Tom  Turner  at 
the  parlour  door ;  the  latter,  having  finished  his  investi- 


252  JA  CK  HARKA  WAY  AT  OXFORD, 

gations,  found  that  he  had  been  robbed  of  more  than  two 
hundred  pounds,  and  jewellery  to  a  corresponding  extent. 

This  great  loss  made  him  furious  with  rage. 

He  could  have  killed  his  daughter,  in  his  passion,  fov 
encouraging,  as  he  thought,  Fred  Bird  to  rob  him. 

"What  do  you  want  here,  sir?"  he  demanded.  "I 
don't  know  you.  Are  you  a  customer,  or  have  you  come 
to  rob  me? " 

"To  prevent  you  from  being  robbed,"  replied  Jack, 

"How's  that?" 

"  You  have  a  one-armed  man  named  Hunston  in  your 
house  ? " 

"Yes  ;  a  friend  of  my  brother  Bob." 

"  He  is  a  villain." 

"  Say  you  so  ?  "  cried  the  old  man. 

"There  is  a  warrant  for  his  apprehension,  which  I 
have  come  to  enforce.  The  house  is  surrounded — he 
cannot  escape." 

"Where  is  he?" 

"I  saw  him  a  moment  ago." 

' '  You  say  he  is  a  villain  ?  " 

"  Of  the  deepest  dye,"  answered  Jack. 

"Then  perhaps  Fred  Bird  is  innocent,"  mused  the 
naturalist  "  I  have  been  hasty." 

He  reflected  that  his  brother  did  not  bear  the  best  of 
characters,  that  he  knew  absolutely  nothing  of  Hunston, 
and  that  he  had  been  probably  deceived. 

What  was  more  likely  than  that  the  two  had  conspired 
together  to  rob  him,  and  fix  the  crime  on  the  young  sailor? 

Fanny  heard  what  Jack  Harkaway  had  said,  and  she 
experienced  a  revulsion  of  feeling. 

She  had  been  too  hasty  in  condemning  her  sweetheart. 

Appearances  were  against  him,  and  she  had  been  pre- 
judiced by  Hunston,  who  had  an  oily  tongue,  and  could 
coax  when  he  wanted  to. 

"You  may  search  this  house  from  top  to  bottom  and 
take  the  fellow,"  said  Tom  Turner.  "He's  no  child  of 
mine  ;  I  have  nothing  to  do  with.  Brother  Bob,  too,  for 
what  I  care." 

"  Father !  "  exclaimed  Fanny. 

"Well,  girl,  what  now  ?  " 

"I  saw  Uncle  Bob  go  away  with  a  bundle  in  his  hand 
some  time  ago. " 


JA CK  HA RKA WAY  AT  OXFORD.  253 

"Ha!  that  looks  bad.  We've  been  harbouring  swin- 
dlers, I'm  afraid.  It's  hard  to  talk  against  one's  own  rela- 
tions, but " 

He  paused  abruptly  and  shook  his  head 

"Brother  Bob  ran  away  to  sea,"  he  added,  after  a 
pause.  "We  couldn't  keep  him  at  home  ;  he  was  always 
a  bad  lot.  Come  with  me,  sir.  We  will  go  through  the 
house  after  this  fragment  of  humanity,  for  with  one  arm 
he  is  nothing  more." 

"  He  is  very  desperate ;  but  I  have  a  weapon." 

"Go  first,  if  you  please.  I  am  old,  but  I  don't  want 
to  lose  my  life  yet." 

Jack  preceded  him,  and  they  went  over  the  house  and 
through  the  menagerie,  but  without  any  result. 

In  the  latter  they  stopped  close  to  the  hyena  cage. 

The  animals  had  finished  their  meal,  and  were  lying 
down  quietly  enough. 

"That's  funny,"  observed  Turner.  "These  animals 
generally  make  a  fine  shine  about  this  time.  It's  the 
heat  of  the  weather,  perhaps,  that  makes  them  quiet. 
Your  man  isn't  here,  Mr. —  I  have  not  the  pleasure  of 
knowing  your  name." 

"  Harkaway,"  replied  Jack. 

"The  question  is  :  Where  has  he  gone?  Did  you  say 
all  the  doors  were  guarded  ? " 

"Yes,  and  the  front  window,  too.  A  policeman  is 
outside,  as  well  as  my  friends.  It  is  singular." 

"I  call  it  a  lick— a  regular  lick,"  replied  Turner. 
"What  will  you  do  now  ?  " 

"What  to  do  I  don't  know.  Shall  I  call  my  friends  in, 
and  leave  the  policeman  on  guard?  " 

"  You  can  do  that,  and  hold  a  consultation.  I've  been 
robbed  in  the  night,  and  I'm  upset ;  my  head  feels  weak. 
I  must  lie  down.  Here,  Fanny. " 

"Father." 

"See  to  these  gentlemen.  That  dizziness  I  have  in  my 
head  sometimes  has  come  on.  I  must  lie  on  my  back. 
See  to  things  generally,  will  you?" 

"Leave  it  all  to  me,  father,"  answered  Fanny;  "bm 
one  word  before  you  go." 

"What  is  it?" 

'We've  been  made  fools  of;  I  am  sure  of  it.     When 
you  are  better,  will  you  go  and  let  Freddy  Bird  out  ?  " 


254  JACK  HA  RKAWAY  AT  OXFORD. 

"Ay,  ay,  girl ;  let  me  have  a  rest,  first." 

Saying  this,  the  old  man,  who  was  dreadfully  upset, 
tottered  up  stairs,  and  threw  himself  on  his  bed. 

His  strong  box,  and  what  remained  in  it,  was  under- 
neath him. 

Fanny  felt  brighter  since  she  had  heard  what  Harkaway 
had  said  about  Hunston. 

It  was  a  complete  revelation  to  her. 

She  had  been  standing  on  the  brink  of  a  precipice,  and 
had  had  as  narrow  an  escape  from  a  life  of  misery  and 
infamy  as  a  girl  could  have. 

All  at  once  it  struck  her  that  her  father  looked  very  ill. 

There  was  a  wan,  cadaverous  appearance  about  him 
which  she  had  never  observed  before. 

This  alarmed  her  greatly. 

He  was  very  old,  and  at  his  age  could  not  be  expected 
to  be  strong  enough  to  stand  shocks  and  excitement. 

The  events  of  the  night  had  unnerved  him. 

Full  of  tender  solicitude,  she  followed  him  up  stairs. 

Having  thrown  himself  on  the  bed,  he  had  gone  off  to 
sleep  like  a  tired  child. 

She  took  a  chair  and  sat  by  the  bedside,  to  be  at  hand 
if  he  awoke  and  required  any  thing  in  a  hurry. 

Meanwhile,  Jack  Harkaway  had  told  the  policeman, 
Murphy,  to  redouble  his  precautions. 

Then  he  called  Harvey  and  Monday  in  from  the  back 
and  front. 

They  collected  together  in  the  parlour. 

All  three  were  ready  to  swear  that  they  had  seen  Hun- 
ston, and  all  were  equally  certain  that  he  had  not  quitted 
the  house. 

Where  was  he,  then  ? 

That  was  tne  question  which  perplexed  them,  and 
which  they  set  themselves  to  solve. 

"Perhaps  there  is  some  underground  cellar  in  which  he 
is  hiding,"  remarked  Harvey. 

"  Maybe  he's  got  up  in  um  roof,  sah,"  said  Monday. 

"  It  would  be  a  pity  to  miss  him,  after  the  police  found 
him  so  nicely  for  us,"  exclaimed  Jack.  "I  am  anxious 
to  get  back  to  Oxford,  but  I  can  not  leave  London  until 
this  business  is  over." 

"The  time  for  leaving  for  the  summer  will  soon  be 
here.  Commemoration,  I  mean,"  replied  Harvey. 


JACK  HA  RICA  WAY  AT  OXFORD. 


255 


"And  after  that,  matrimony." 

"Yes.  It  has  been  a  long  time  to  wait,  but  better  late 
than  never. " 

"You  are  right.  But  with  regard  to  business,"  cried 
Jack.  "  How  are  we  to  unearth  our  fox  ?  " 

' '  If  that  is  a  riddle,  I  give  it  up.  Ask  me  an  easier 
one,"  laughed  Harvey. 

Monday  was  looking  out  of  the  window. 

Suddenly  he  uttered  a  loud  cry. 

"Hi!  yi !  yah!  ho!"  he  yelled.  "Um  gone  away, 
Mast'  Jack  ! " 

Jack  and  Harvey  rushed  to  the  window. 

It  was  true. 

Hunston  had  crawled  out  of  the  hyenas'  cage. 

Hearing  all  still  in  the  house,  he  had  ventured  to  the 
parlour  door. 

There  he  heard  Jack  and  Harvey  deliberating. 

Thinking  that  this  was  his  opportunity,  he  made  his 
way  to  the  front,  and  dashed  towards  the  ferry. 

Murphy,  the  policeman,  saw  him  coming. 

Before,  however,  he  could  seize  or  stop  him,  Hunston 
struck  him  in  the  right  arm  with  a  clasp-knife,  wounding 
him  badly. 

He  was  disabled,  and  thrown  to  the  ground  by  the  shock. 

"Confound  it!"  exclaimed  Harkaway.  "He's  given 
us  the  slip  again  !  After  him  !  After  him  ! " 

Monday  was  out  of  the  window  like  a  shot. 

He  dashed  towards  the  water  stairs. 

Harkaway  and  Harvey  followed. 

Like  a  hunted  hare,  with  the  greyhounds  at  his  heels, 
Hunston  ran  for  dear  life. 

They  saw  him  gain  the  boat  which,  fortunately  for  him, 
was  at  the  foot  of  the  stairs. 

He  spoke  a  few  words  in  a  hurried  manner  to  the  ferry- 
man, and  was  immediately  rowed  into  mid-stream. 

The  boat  soon  became  mixed  up  with  the  craft  that 
was  going  up  and  down  the  river. 

It  was  ebb  tide,  then  about  half  ebb,  and  Hunston  had 
directed  the  ferryman  to  go  down  with  it. 

"Um  done  us  again,  Mast'  Jack,"  said  Monday. 

Harkavvay  bit  his  lips  with  vexation. 

**•?  loofced  in  an  directions,  out  couid  not  see  another 
boat. 


256  JACK  HARK  A  WAY  AT  OXFORD. 

" Hang  it  all !"  he  cried.  "Is  that  the  only  boat  foi 
hire  ? " 

"It  seems  like  it,"  replied  Harvey. 

"No,  sah.     Here  one  come,"  said  Monday. 

A  boat  was  seen  approaching  the  shore. 

The  waterman,  a  young  and  powerful  fellow,  waved 
an  oar. 

"  Boat — boat? "  he  asked. 

Harkaway  replied  in  the  affirmative. 

The  boat  came  to  the  stairs,  they  all  embarked,  and 
the  waterman  was  instructed  to  row  rapidly  down  the 
river. 

A  sharp  lookout  for  Hunston  was  kept. 

They  had  lost  sight  of  him,  but  hoped  to  come  up  with 
him  before  long. 

It  promised  to  be  a  most  exciting  chase. 


CHAPTER  XCII. 

THE    CHASE. 

FEARFUL  of  being  followed  by  Harkaway  and  his 
friends,  Hunston  urged  the  ferryman  to  use  his  utmost 
exertions. 

He  forgot  all  about  Fanny  in  his  hour  of  peril. 

All  he  wanted,  in  that  moment  of  dire  distress,  was  to 
get  away. 

"  Row,  man  alive  !  "  he  cried  ;   "  row  your  hardest !  " 

"I  am  rowing  all  I  know  how,"  the  man  replied 
"You  don't  take  me  for  a  professional,  do  you?  " 

"Not  likely." 

"I've  got   the  rheumatics  in  my  right  arm,  guv'nor 
and  in  my  neck.     It's  hard  work,  though  I  have  lu 
the  ferry  for  a  living." 

"Bother  your  neck  !  " 

"It  wants  oiling,"  grinned  the  ferryman. 

"  Why  don't  you  do  it,  then  ?  " 

*4  You  do  it,  and  p'r'aps  I'll  row  better." 
"Ah!   what  do  you  mean?    How  can  I  oil 
neck?"  ' 


JACK  HARKA WAY  AT  OXFORD.  257 

"Do  it  with  gold,  master." 

"Ah,  ah  !  you  want  money  ?  "  said  Hunston. 

"That's  about  the  size  of  it,  sir.  If  you  ain't  got  no  oil, 
mebbe  you'll  take  the  oars." 

"Can't  you  see  I've  only  got  one  arm,  you  fool?  But 
here,  I'll  give  you  five  pounds  if  you'll  put  the  steam  on, 
•instead  of  crawling  along  like  an  infernal  old  crab." 

"  Show  me  the  colour  of  your  money." 

Hunston  took  the  gold  out  of  his  pocket  and  gave  it  to 
the  man. 

"Thank  you,  captain,"  said  he.  "  I'll  do  my  best  for 
you.  What  are  you  afraid  of?  Better  tell  me." 

"Enemies." 

"  Is  it  police?" 

"  They've  got  the  police  at  their  back.  That  is  enough 
for  you  to  know.  I  want  to  get  away  and  hide  for  the 
night  Do  you  know  any  place  where  you  can  take 
me?" 

"  Yes  ;  down  the  river. " 

"  How  far? " 

"Not  many  miles.  It's  a  crib  in  Woolwich  Marshes — 
a  beershop.  They  call  it  the  'Dog  Kennel  ' ;  stands  by 
itself.  Lightermen  stop  there  ;  a  hard  crowd  they  are. 
You  will  be  safe  there,  though.  It's  kept  by  a  friend  of 
mine,  a  Jew  named  Absalom  Levi.y 

"  Good  !  that  will  do,"  said  Hunston. 

"It  isn't  much  of  a  place  for  a  gentleman  like  you," 
continued  the  ferryman;  "but  I  don't  think  any  one 
would  look  for  you  there." 

"  If  it  were  a  pig-stye,  and  safe,  I'd  creep  into  it." 

"  Oh,  it  ain't  so  bad  as  that ;  it's  clean,  and  the  beer  is 
the  best  that  they  make  at  Romford." 

"Why  is  it  called  the  'Dog  Kennel'?" 

"Because  it  stands  in  a  lonely  position,  Old  Ab,  the 
landlord,  was  robbed  by  tramps  and  pretty  near  killed 
once,  so  he  ups  to  town  and  buys  four  jolly,  big,  fierce 
mastiff  dogs  ;  fit  to  eat  a  man  they  are.  He  builds  ken- 
nels for  them  at  the  four  corners  of  his  shanty  and  no  one 
comes  near  him  at  nights  now." 

"That  will  do,"  said  Hunston. 

"  I  was  giving  you  a  bit  of  old  Ab's  history." 

"Keep   your   mouth   shut,  and   save  your   breath  for 
rowing. " 
17 


1 58  JA  CK  HARKA  WAY  AT  OXFORD. 

"  I  can  talk  and  scull  too,  that's  me,  guv'nor,"  answered 
the  ferryman,  quickening  his  movements. 

The  boat  was  going  rapidly,  for  the  handsome  fee 
Hunston  had  given  him  stimulated  the  man  to  gi eater 
exertion. 

They  passed  factories,  docks,  ship-building  yards,  and 
wharves  as  if  the  river's  side  were  a  panorama. 

Ships  of  all  nations  were  to  be  seen,  from  the  stately 
ocean  steamer,  of  five  thousand  tons  burden,  to  the  hum- 
ble barkantine. 

"A  mile  an'  a  'arf  more  will  do  us,"  remarked  the  ferry- 
man. 

"Thank  heaven  for  that.  I  am  nervous  to-day,"  Hun- 
ston rejoined.  "  Is  the  beershop  far  from  the  shore?  " 

"Lays  back  a  few  hundred  yards,  with  a  causeway  of 
stones  leading  up  to  it,  or  else  you'd  'ave  to  wade  through 
the  mud." 

' '  Any  thing  to  eat  ? " 

"Oh,  yes.  Old  Ab's  always  got  a  prime  bit  of  cold 
roast  or  b'iled  beef  ready  for  his  customers.  Lightermen 
is  werry  fond  of  cold  beef  and  pickles.  Lor',  guv'nor  !  its 
a  sight  to  see  them  fellows,  after  six  or  eight  hours'  work 
on  the  river,  put  away  the  wittles.  The  grub  seems  to 
fly." 

They  were  coming  to  the  Woolwich  Marshes,  and 
seemed  to  be  leaving  civilisation  behind  them,  for  the 
shore  looked  wild  and  bleak. 

Hunston  did  not  take  much  notice  of  his  surroundings. 

He  fell  into  a  deep  reverie. 

It  was  clear  to  his  comprehension,  which  was  always 
very  keen,  that  Fanny  Turner  could  never  now  be  his. 

Harkaway  had  found  him  out,  and  once  more  turned 
the  tables  on  him,  clever  as  he  was. 

It  appeared  as  if  they  were  destined  to  go  through  life 
waging  a  deadly  feud  with  each  other. 

Jack  had  this  advantage  :  he  had  two  solid  friends  in 
Harvey  and  Monday. 

They  would  go  through  fire  and  water  for  him. 

As  for  Hunston,  he  was  alone  in  the  world. 

No  one  ever  seemed  to  attach  himself  to  him  for  any 
long  time. 

It  was  not  a  case  of,  as  the  poet  sings,  "All  things 
love  thee,  so  do  I,"  but  rather,  "All  things  hate  thee." 


JA  CK  HARK  A  WAY  AT  OXFORD. 


259 


Many  times  had  he  tried  to  make  friends,  but  his  com- 
panions— they  were  no  more — proved  vicious  and  worth- 

"Shall  I  never  find  rest  ?  "  he  muttered. 

The   answer  came  from  the  water  behind  him. 

He  was  startled  by  a  loud  cry. 

Turning  his  head,  he  saw  a  boat,  which  contained  Hark 
away,  Harvey,  and  Monday. 

The  man  who  rowed  them  was  in  the  middle  of  the 
boat,  Harvey  and  Monday  were  in  the  stern,  while  Jack 
stood  up  in  the  bows. 

He  was  on  the  lookout. 

The  cry  which  had  startled  Hunston  came  from  him. 

"There  he  is  !  "  cried  Jack.  "  Give  way.  Lift  her,  my 
lad,  and  I'll  pay  you  well." 

"Ay,  ay,  sir!"  replied  the  waterman.  "I've  been 
aboard  of  a  man-o'-war,  and  I'll  show  you  some  pretty 
work." 

Harkaway's  boat  was  gaining  on  Hunston's  minute  by 
minute. 

It  was  clear  that  in  a  short  time  the  former  would  over- 
haul the  latter. 

Hunston  would  then  be  Harkaway's  prisoner ;  and  once 
in  the  power  of  the  police,  it  was  not  likely  that  he  would 
regain  his  liberty  for  many  years  to  come. 

This  thought  maddened  Hunston. 

"Back  !  "  he  cried.      "  Harkaway,  I  warn  you  !  " 

"It's  all  right,  old  fellow.  I've  got  you  this  time,"  re- 
plied Jack. 

"That's  what  you  think." 

"We  are  three  to  one.     Surrender  !  " 

"  Never  !  I  will  die  first !  "  exclaimed  Hunston,  shouting 
hoarsely  across  the  water. 

It  was  very  warm,  and  the  air  was  so  still  and  rarefied 
that  a  voice  could  be  heard  for  a  considerable  distance. 

"We  mean  to  have  you,"  continued  Jack.  "  If  you 
kick  like  a  mule,  it  will  not  do  you  any  good.  Give  up 
without  further  trouble." 

' '  I  tell  you  I  will  not, "  Hunston  replied.  ' '  By  heaven; 
Harkaway,  you  shall  only  triumph  over  my  dead  body  !  " 

"  Have  some  sense,  and  submit  quietly  to  the  law, 
which  you  have  so  greatly  outraged.  If  you  repent  you 
may  find  mercy — 


2  60  JACK  HA  RKA  WAY  AT  OXFORD. 

"  Stop  your  cant.  I  don't  want  to  listen  to  a  second- 
hand  sermon,"  interrupted  Hunston. 

Jack  made  no  reply. 

It  was  useless  to  appeal  to  Hunston  to  surrender,  for 
he  was  evidently  desperate. 

There  was  no  doubt  that  the  man  would  fight. 

The  vengeful  expression  of  his  face  showed  that  he  was 
full  of  it. 

Like  a  stag  driven  to  bay,  he  was  undoubtedly  dan- 
gerous. 

' '  Are  you  going  to  let  that  boat  follow  us,  sir  ?  "  asked 
the  ferryman. 

"It's  no  wish  of  mine  to  have  it  do  so,  but  how  the 
deuce  am  I  to  prevent  it?"  asked  Hunston. 

"It's  no  use  trying  to  hide  at  the  '  Dog  Kennel.'" 

"Are  we  so  near  it  ?  " 

"  Within  a  mile.  I  shall  have  to  drift  past  it.  They'll 
follow  us  sure,  if  we  land  ;  but  perhaps  you  would  like  to 
fight  it  out  there  instead  of  lower  down  the  river  ?  " 

"  No,  by  heaven,  I'll  settle  it  here  !  " 

Hunston  was  standing  up  in  the  boat,  just  as  Harkaway 
was. 

He  drew  a  pistol  from  his  pocket. 

"Stop  sculling,"  he  added. 

The  ferryman  rested  on  his  oars. 

"Right  you  are,  sir,"  he  said.  "If  there's  murder  or 
manslaughter,  it  don't  matter  to  me.  The  authorities 
can't  drag  me  into  it,  except  as  a  witness,  that's  all." 

Jack's  boat  came  up  rapidly  to  that  in  which  Hunston 
was. 

They  were  soon  within  shooting  distance. 

"I've  warned  you,"  exclaimed  Hunston.  "If  you 
persevere,  you  will  only  have  yourself  to  blame  for  what 
happens." 

"  What  do  you  mean  to  do? "  asked  Jack. 

"Shoot.     That  is  more  than  you  dare  do." 

Jack  knew  that. 

He  could  capture  Hunston  if  he  was  able,  and  hand  him 
over  to  the  police,  but  he  had  no  legal  or  moral  right  to 
shoot  him  on  the  Thames. 

They  were  not  in  a  savage  country  now. 

Hunston  had  him  at  a  disadvantage  there. 

It  was  impossible  that  Jack  could  fire  upon  him  and 


JACK  HARK  A  WAY  AT  OXFORD.  26l 

mjure  him  without  placing  himself  within  the  clutches  of 
the  law. 

^  Deliberately  Hunston  fired  at  Harkaway,  with  the  inten- 
tion of  either  killing  or  wounding  him. 

He  was  so  reckless  that  he  cared  little  which  it  was. 

The  shot,  owing  to  a  quick  movement  on  the  part  of 
Jack,  whizzed  harmlessly  past  his  side. 

Hunston  had  aimed  at  the  heart,  and  appeared  to  be  as 
unconcerned  as  if  he  was  only  shooting  wild  ducks. 

But  the  bullet  found  a  billet. 

The  young  waterman  received  the  ball  in  his  shoulder. 

With  a  wild  cry  he  threw  up  his  arms. 

The  movement  caused  him  to  drop  his  oars,  which  were 
at  once  carried  away  by  the  tide. 

The  boat  became  almost  stationary,  while  that  of  Hun- 
ston went  on  ahead. 

Jack  and  his  friends  were  helpless  in  the  middle  of  the 
river. 

They  could  neither  advance  nor  retreat. 

"Ha,  ha!"  cried  Hunston,  with  a  burst  of  fiendish 
laughter.  "Why  don't  you  come  after  me?" 

"We  will  have  you  yet,"  replied  Jack. 

"  I  defy  you  to  do  so." 

"  Don't  brag  too  loudly,"  Jack  said. 

"  My  time  hasn't  come  yet,  Harkaway.  I  feel  that  I 
am  destined  to  live  in  order  to  annoy  you  !  "  Hunston 
hissed.  "I  am  glad  I  did  not  kill  you  just  now." 

"You  are  very  kind.     May  I  ask  why  ?  " 

"Because  it  is  more  pleasurable  to  be  a  thorn  in  your 
side,  to  thwart  you  at  every  turn,  and  to  render  your  life 
miserable.  Good-bye  for  the  present ;  we  shall  meet 
again." 

Hunston  waved  his  only  arm. 

The  ferryman  redoubled  his  exertions. 

In  a  few  minutes  the  boat  had  shot  so  far  ahead  as  to 
be  out  of  sight  of  Harkaway  and  his  friends. 

The  latter  were  extremely  annoyed  at  their  ill-luck. 

Whenever  Hunston  seemed  to  be  in  their  power,  or 
within  their  grasp,  the  cunning  rascal  managed  to  escape 
them  somehow. 

"Are  you  much  hurt?  "  asked  Jack  of  the  waterman. 

"I've  no  use  in  my  right  arm,  sir,"  replied  the  latter, 
faintly,  "  and  it  pains  me  a  good  deal." 


262  JA  CK  HARK  A  WAY  AT  OXFORD. 

"  Do  you  live  far  from  here  ?  " 

"A  goodish  way,  sir." 

They  were  in  a  dilemma. 

Without  sculls  or  oars,  they  had  no  control  over  the 
boat. 

If  they  could  have  got  to  the  shore,  they  would  have 
assisted  the  waterman  to  some  house  where  they  would 
have  left  him  while  they  got  surgical  assistance. 

What  to  do  they  knew  not. 

"Tears  to  me,  sare,"  said  Monday,  "that  we  are  like 
the  'possum  who  found  himself  up  a  mighty  tall  gum-tree, 
and  didn't  know  how  to  get  down  again." 

"We  must  exercise  our  ingenuity,"  remarked  Harvey. 

"Ain't  got  none  of  that  in  stock  ;  sold  quite  out,  "replied 
Monday. 

Jack  was  looking  up  the  river. 

They  were  right  in  the  way  of  all  large  craft,  and  as  a 
mist  had  begun  to  rise  from  the  water,  it  was  not  easy  to 
see  them. 

All  at  once  he  saw  a  steamer  bearing  down  upon 
them. 

It  was  low  down  in  the  water,  painted  black,  and 
worked  by  a  screw. 

So  quickly  do  these  steamers  cut  through  the  water, 
that  they  have  acquired  'a  peculiar  name. 

One,  however,  that  is  amply  justifiable. 

The  sailors  call  them,  "Silent  Death." 

They  give  no  notice  of  their  approach,  and  a  collision 
frequently  occurs  between  them  and  other  boats. 

"  Look  out  !  "  exclaimed  Jack,  excitedly. 

"  What  is  it  ?  "  asked  Harvey. 

"A  steamer.  We  shall  be  run  down  Oh,  if  I  could 
turn  the  boat's  head !  " 

' '  You  can't. " 

"Jump  for  it  !     Jump,  Dick  !     Now,  Monday  !  " 

"  You  too,"  said  Harvey.     Lead  the  way." 

"No,  no:  I  will  stand  by  the  waterman,"  replied 
Jack. 

On  came  the  huge  mass. 

If  there  was  anyone  on  the  lookout,  he  did  not  see  the 
boat. 

It  was  only  when  the  steamer  was  close  to  the  small 
craft  that  the  pilot  on  the  bridge  noticed  it. 


JA  CK  HA  RKA  WAY  AT  OXFORD.  2  63 

He  waved  his  hand. 

Something  was  said  by  him  which  was  carried  away 
by  the  wind. 

It  never  reached  Jack's  ears. 

For  heaven's  sake,  sir,  save  me  !  "  cried  the  waterman. 
'  I  will  if  I  can,  my  good  fellow,"  replied  Jack. 
'It  isn't  much  I  can  do  with  one  arm.  and  bleeding 
fast,  too." 

'  I  know.     Cheer  up." 
'  Here  she  comes,  sir." 

The  dark  hull  of  the  "Silent  Death"  overshadowed 
them. 

It  was  impossible  for  them  to  get  out  of  her  way. 

A  moment  of  awful  suspense  ensued. 

Harvey  and  Monday  sprang  into  the  river  and  swam  out. 

Then  there  was  a  crash. 

The  boat  was  split  up  like  so  much  match-wood. 

Jack  found  himself  in  the  water,  alongside  the  steamer. 

This  was  for  a  brief  sj  ace  only,  as  she  glided  on 
swiftly  ;  and  though  the  pilox  had  witnessed  the  accident, 
he  did  not  stop  the  ship  or  so  much  as  dream  of  lowering 
a  boat  to  save  life. 

Jack  struggled  through  the  surging  water  left  in  the 
wake  of  the  big  ship. 

Luckily,  he  was  entirely  unhurt. 

Anxiously,  according  to  his  promise,  he  looked  round 
for  the  young  watenman,  but  was  unable  to  see  any  sign 
of  him. 

He  had  disappeared  without  leaving  any  trace. 

Jack  feared  that  he  must  have  been  hit  by  the  steamer. 

After  paddling  about  for  some  time,  he  gave  up  the 
search. 

It  was  only  a  waste  of  time. 

"Poor  fellow!  I  would  have  saved  him  if  I  could," 
Jack  muttered. 

He  struck  out  for  the  nearest  shore. 

This  happened  to  be  the.  Essex  side  of  the  river 
Thames. 

As  he  drew  near  he  was  delighted  to  remark  Harvey 
and  Monday  standing  on  the  land. 

They  were  shouting  and  beckoning  to  him. 

In  a  few  minutes  he  was  by  their  side,  shaking  hands 
with  them. 


264  JACK  HARK  A  WAY  AT  OXFORD. 

None  of  the  three  were  any  the  worse  for  their  immer- 
sion. 

"That  was  a  narrow  squeak,  sare,"  said  Monday. 
"Very  nearly  go  to  Davy  Jones'  locker  then." 

"Where's  the  waterman?"  asked  Harvey. 

"Poor  chap  !  "  answered  Jack.  "  I'm  afraid  he's  past 
praying  for.  I  stuck  to  the  boat  for  his  sake  till  she  was 
struck. " 

"  Perhaps  he  got  knocked  on  the  head." 

"No  doubt.  He  must  have  sunk  like  a  stone.  I 
reckoned  that  he  could  keep  himself  afloat  for  ten  minutes 
with  one  arm,  if  not  longer." 

"  It  was  kind,  and  plucky  of  you." 

"Never  mind  that.  I'm  vexed  that  the  poor  chap 
should  come  to  such  grief  in  our  service." 

"So  am  I,"  replied  Harvey  ;  "  but  it  can't  be  helped. 
What  are  we  to  do  now  ? "  - 

"Take  a  walk  along  these  marshes.  Being  summer 
time,  they  are  hard.  We  shall  soon  dry  our  clothes. 
When  we  come  to  a  tavern,  we  will  refresh  the  inner 
man,  and  get  back  to  town  the  best  way  we  can,"  said 
Jack 

"Agreed  ;  that  will  do." 

"Um  very  good  advice  that,"  remarked  Monday; 
"'specially  that  about  refreshments.  Thames  mud  gets 
down  this  child's  throat,  and  don't  taste  over  nice  either." 

"You  shall  have  something  before  long." 

"I'd  likelilly  drop  of  something  to  washamouf  out,  sare," 
grinned  Mond'ay.  "Always  keep  de  debble  out  of  um 
inside." 

' '  How  do  you  do  that  ? " 

"  Him  only  come  in  when  um  inside  is  empty.  Keep 
him  full  up  to  the  bung  and  no  debble  able  to  get  in. " 

"  A  very  good  plan,"  replied  Jack. 

They  walked  along  the  marshes,  the  sun  dried  their  wet 
clothes  in  a  remarkably  short  space  of  time. 

It  was  a  lovely  day,  and  under  other  circumstances 
they  would  have  enjoyed  their  walk. 

As  it  was,  they  were  thinking  how  Hunston  had  beaten 
them,  and  how  they  would  have  to  go  back  to  Oxford 
acknowledging  their  defeat. 

They  had  no  more  time  to  spare. 

Commemoration  would  take  place  in  a  few  days. 


JACK  HARK  A  WAY  AT  OXFORD.  265 

It  was  necessary  that  Jack  and  Harvey  show  them- 
selves at  St.  Aldate's. 

"Say,Massa  Jack  !  "  Monday  exclaimed. 

"What  now  ?  "  asked  Harkaway. 

"  See  that  old  shanty  over  there  ? " 

"  Yes  ;  it  looks  like  a  wooden  house." 

"That's  jus'  what  it  is,  sare." 

"Nothing  extraordinary  about  it,  is  there?" 

"Not  'xactly  'xtro'nary  ;  but  Monday  got  very  good 
eyes,  Massa  Jack,  and  he  see  something  written  on  de 
side." 

"What  is  it?" 

"'Fine  ales  sold  here.  Meals  to  be  had  within. 
Cold  meat  and  eel-pies  always  on  hand.'  Oh,  golly! 
how  I'd  like  to  eat  a  eel-pie  now  or  pick  a  sweet  old  ham- 
bone  ! " 

"Good enough  !  "  cried  Jack.      "  Press  on,  boys." 

"Soon,"  said  Harvey,  "  we  shall  be  dipping  our  beak.« 
in  the  foaming  pewter." 

"In  the  language  of  the  poet,   '  you  bet,'"  replied  Jack. 

The  prospect  of  refreshment  after  their  immersion  in 
the  muddy  Thames  put  fresh  spirits  into  them. 

They  increased  their  pace,  and  rapidly  neared  the 
solitary  house,  for  it  stood  entirely  alone. 


CHAPTER   XCIII. 

A   SURPRISE. 

As  they  approached  the  little  inn,  whose  licence  only 
permitted  the  sale  of  beer,  they  saw  a  boat  rowed  up  to 
a  causeway  leading  to  the  house. 

A  man  stepped  out  of  it. 

To  their  amazement  it  was  Hunston. 

This  was  indeed  a  surprise. 

The  recognition  was  mutual. 

As  soon  as  Hunston  remarked  Harkaway,  Harvey,  and 
Monday,  he  muttered  an  imprecation. 

Stepping  back  into  the  boat,  he  gave  some  orders  to  his 
boatman,  who  instantly  shot  out  into  the  stream  again. 


266  JACK  HARKA  WAY  AT  OXFORD. 

Hunston  had  come  to  the  "Dog  Kennel,"  as  the  ferry- 
man called  the  place,  expecting  to  rest  there. 

"A  boat!  "cried  Jack.  "If  I  only  had  a  boat,  I'd  tackle 
him  single-handed  !  " 

"  He  would  shoot  you,"  Harvey  replied. 

Hunston  laughed. 

"As  you  fellows  have  taken  possession  of  that  side  of 
the  river,  I  shall  go  to  the  other.  It  will  be  useless  to 
follow  me,  for,  in  spite  of  all  your  clever  precautions,  I 
promise  you  that  I  shall  leave  England  to-morrow." 

"It  will  be  a  good  riddance,"  replied  Jack. 

"  No,  you  will  not  be  rid  of  me,  for  I  will  baffle  you  in 
all  your  schemes  wherever  you  go." 

"  How  will  you  know  my  movements  ?  " 

"  I  have  paid  spies.      Beware  of  me  !  " 

These  were  Hunston's  last  words. 

He  was  rowed  rapidly  across  the  river  by  the  ferryman. 

Harkaway  and  his  friends  went  into  the  beer-house  and 
refreshed  themselves,  after  which  they  were  directed  to  a 
railway-station,  and  returned  to  London. 

We  may  here  mention  that  Bo's'n  Bob  was  never  seen 
in  London  again. 

Old  Tom  Turner,  of  the  "Noah's  Ark,"  liberated  Fred, 
whom  he  felt  sure  was  innocent  of  the  crime  imputed  to 
his  charge. 

Fred  Bird  married  Fanny,  gave  up  the  sea,  and  settling 
down  at  the  "Noah's  Ark,"  became  a  naturalist,  bird-fan- 
cier, and  stuffer,  being  of  much  use  to  his  father-in-law. 
******* 

Jack  Harkaway,  Harvey,  and  Monday  returned  to  Ox- 
ford directly  they  were  sure  that  Hunston  had  slipped 
through  their  fingers. 

There  was  no  more  to  be  done. 

They  were  not  to  blame,  for  they  had  worked  hard  to 
ensure  his  capture. 

At  all  events,  they  were  rid  of  him. 

Where  he  would  turn  up  next  was  a  question  with  which 
they  did  not  trouble  themselves. 

It  was  pleasant,  after  all  they  had  gone  through,  to  be 
again  at  the  dear  old  Varsity. 

The  remainder  of  the  term  passed  very  quickly. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bedington  and  Emily,  with  Mrs.  Travers, 
came  up  for  Commemoration. 


JA  CK  HARK  A  WAY  AT  OXFORD.  267 

Oxford  was  en  f tie. 

On  Show  Sunday  they  all  walked  under  the  trees  in  the 
Christ-Church  meadows,  with  Harvey  and  Hilda. 

At  last  all  was  over. 

Hilda  and  Harvey  accepted  an  invitation  to  stay  at  Mr. 
Bedington's  house. 

The  day  fixed  for  the  three  marriages  was  Thursday, 
and  after  the  breakfast,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Harkaway,  and  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Harvey,  were  to  start  for  the  Continent,  accom- 
panied by  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Matabella. 

The  wedding  was  a  grand  affair. 

After  breakfast,  Mr.  Bedington  took  Jack  aside,  while 
Emily  had  gone  with  Hilda  to  dress  for  the  journey. 

"Now,  my  dear  boy,"  said  Mr.  Bedington,  "I  want  to 
know  if  you  have  finally  chosen  a  profession?" 

"  Yes,"  replied  Jack  ;  "  with  your  permission,  I  will  go 
into  the  army." 

"  So  be  it.  Your  career  has  been  a  brilliant  one  hitherto, 
*and  I  am  sure  you  will  shine  in  any  capacity." 

"  I  should  like  to  go  into  the  Blues,"  said  Jack,  "for  a 
year  or  two  ;  you  know  I  could  change  into  another 
cavalry  regiment  if  there  was  any  prospect  of  active 
service. " 

"We  will  talk  about  that  when  you  come  back,"  con- 
tinued Mr.  Bedington,  "  and  all  I  have  left  to  say  is,  may 
you  be  happy." 

Mrs.  Bedington  came  up,  and  squeezing  Jack's  hand, 
said,  "Heaven  shower  its  choicest  blessings  upon  you, 
my  child  1 " 

Jack  felt  indeed  that  life  was  opening  brilliantly  before 
him. 

"Here  are  the  girls,"  cried  Mrs.  Bedington,  hearing  a 
rustling  of  silk  dresses  on  the  stairs. 

Hilda  and  Emily  were  together. 

"Are  you  happy,  dearest?"  whispered  Hilda. 

"Oh,  so  happy  ;  I  can  scarcely  believe  it's  true,"  an- 
swered Emily. 

Ada  was  laden  with  wraps  and  parcels. 

Monday  was  bustling  about,  with  hat-boxes,  and  fishing- 
rods,  and  various  other  articles. 

"Now,  then,  Monday,  look  alive  !"  cried  Jack;  "w« 
shall  miss  the  train." 

"Urn  do  as  fast  as  urn  can,  sare, "  answered  Monday. 


268  JA  CK  HARK  A  WAY  AT  OXFORD. 

"Somehow  um  feel  rather  funny  about  the  head  this 
morning." 

"  So  do  I,"  muttered  Jack ;  "  it's  getting  married,  I  sup 
pose." 

Harvey  gave  Hilda  his  arm,  and  Jack  took  Emily. 
Then  they  got  into  the  carriage. 

Monday  and  Ada  were  in  the  rumble  behind. 

"  Hurrah  !  Give  them  a  parting  cheer,"  cried  O'Raf- 
ferty.  "Hurrah!  It's  a  swate  thing  to  get  married. 
Hurrah  !  hip,  hip,  hip  !  Now  for  the  shoes  ;  pitch  away." 

"See  me  pick  off  Monday,"  Tom  Garden  exclaimed. 

A  perfect  shower  of  old  shoes  flew  after  the  carriage  as 
the  mettlesome  horses  dashed  away  down  the  avenue. 

The  newly-married  couples  were  fairly  on  their  way  to 
Paris,  which  they  expected  to  reach  during  the  following 
day. 

And  thus  ends  Jack  Harkaway's  career  at  Oxford. 

Jack  Harkaway's  career  as  an  officer  in  the  army  must 
form  another  portion  of  our  story,  and  we  trust  our  nu- 
merous readers  will  take  as  kind  an  interest  in  him  after 
his  marriage  as  they  have  done  hitherto. 

We  promise  that  he  shall  be  the  same  Jack  Harkaway 
as  they  have  hitherto  found  him. 

Amidst  various  perils  in  barracks,  in  the  drawing-room, 
in  the  hunting-field,  on  the  field  of  battle,  with  war  raging 
around  him,  and  death  scattering  his  foes  and  friends, 
and  among  the  fierce  brigands  of  the  mountains,  his  cool 
head  and  steady  pluck  will  not  desert  our  type  of  the 
genuine  Boys  of  England. 


THE  END. 


/4fger  Series  for  Boys 

The  public  and  popular  verdict 
for  many  years  has  approved  of 
the  Alger  series  of  books  as  among 
the  most  wholesome  of  all  stories 
for  boys.  To  meet  the  continued 
demand  for  these  books  in  the 
most  attractive  style  of  the  bind- 
er's art,  we  have  made  this  special 
edition  in  ornamental  designs  in 
three  colors,  stamped  on  side  and 
back.  Clear,  large  type  is  used  on 
superior  super-finish  paper.  The 
elaborate  designs  are  stamped  up- 
on binder's  English  linen  cloth,  with  side  and  back  titles 
in  large  letterings.  Each  book  in  printed  wrapper. 


Adrift  in  New  York 

Andy  Gordon 

Andy  Grant's  Pluck 

Bob  Burton 

Bound  to  Rise 

Brave  and  Bold 

Cash  Boy,  The 

Chester  Rand 

Cousin's  Conspiracy,  A 

Do  and  Dare 

Driven  From  Home 

Erie  Train  Boy 

Facing  the  World 

Five  Hundred  Dollars 

Frank's  Campaign 

Grit;  The  Young  Boatman 

Herbert  Carter's  Legacy 

Hector's  Inheritance 

Helping  Himself 

In  a  New  World 

Jack's  Ward 

Jed,  the  Poor  House  Boy 
oe's  Luck 

Julius,  the  Street  Boy 
Luke  Walton 


Making  His  Way 
Mark  Mason's  Victory 
Only  an  Irish  Boy 
Paul,  the  Peddler 
Phil,  the  Fiddler 
Ralph  Raymond's  Heir 
Risen  from  the  Ranks 
Sam's  Chance 
Shifting  for  Himself 
Sink  or  Swim 
Slow  and  Sure 
Store  Boy,  The 
Strive  and  Succeed 


39  Strong  and  Steady 

40  Struggling  Upward 

41  Tin  Box,  The    _.    . 

43 
44 
45 


Tom,  the  Boot-Black 

Tony,  the  Tramp 

Try  and  Trust 

Wait  and  Hope 

W  Sherwood's  Probation 

Young  Acrobat 

Young  Adventurer,  The 

Young  Outlaw 

Young  Salesman 


For  Sale  by  all  Book   and  Newsdealers,  or  will  be  sent  to  any  address 

in  the  U.  S..  Canada  or  Mexico,  postpaid,  on  receipt  of  price 

50c  each,  in  currency,  money  order  or  stamps. 

M.  fl.  Donohue  &  Co.  " 


The  Henty  Series 


43  Titles 

G.  A.  Henty  was  the  most  pro- 
lific writer  of  boys'  stories  of  the 
nineteenth  century.  From  two 
to  five  books  a  year  came  from 
his  facile  pen.  No  Christmas 
holidays  were  complete  without 
a  new  "Henty  Book."  This  new 
series  comprises  43  titles.  They 
are  printed  on  an  extra  quality 
of«  paper,  from  new  plates  and 
bound  in  the  best  quality  of  cloth, 
stamped  on  back  and  side  in  inks 
from  unique  and  attractive  dies. 


1  Among  the  Malays 

2  Bonnie  Prince 

Charlie 

3  Boy  Knight,  The 

4  Bravest  of  the  Brave.  . . . 

5  By  England's  Aid 

6  By  Pike  and  Dyke 

7  By  Right  of  Conquest.  . 

8  By  Sheer  Pluck 

9  Captain  Bayley's  Heir. . . 

10  Cat  of  Bubastes 

11  Col.   Thorndyke's 

Secret 

12  Cornet  of  Horse 

13  Dragon  and  Raven 

14  Facing   Death 

15  Final  Reckoning,  A 

16  For  Name  and  Fame. . .  . 

17  For  the  Temple 

18  Friends,  Though  Divided 

19  Golden  Canon 

20  In  Freedom's  Cause 

21  In  the  Reign  of  Terror.. 

22  In  Times  of  Peril 

23  Jack   Archer;  A 

Tale  of  Crimea .  . . 


24  Lion  of  St.  Mark 

25  Lion  of  the  North 

26  Maori  and  Settler 

27  One  of  the  28th 

28  Orangs  and  Green; 

a  Tale  of  Boync 
and  Limerick. . . . 

29  Ou<   jn  the  Pampas.  . . . 

30  Rujub,  the  Juggler -» 

31  St.  George  for  Eng- 

land  

32  Sturdy  and  Strong 

33  Through  the  Fray 

34  True  to  the  Old 

Flag 

35  Under  Drake's  Flag. .  . . 

36  With  Clive  in  India 

37  With  Lee  in  Virginia. . . . 

38  With  Wolfe  in  Canada. . 

39  Young  Buglers,  The 

40  Young  Carthagin- 

ians   

41  Young  Colonists, 

The 

42  Young  Franc-Tireurs. .  . . 

43  Young  Midshipman 


For  sale  by    all  Book  and  Newsdealers,  or  will  be  sent  to  any  address 

in  the  U.S.,  Canada  or  Mexico,  postpaid  upon  receipt  of  price. 

50c  each,  in  currency,  money  order   or  stamps. 

M.  A.  DONOHUE  £.  CO.    407-429  Dearborn  St.,    CHICAGO 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA,  LOS  ANGELES 

THE  UNIVERSITY  LIBRARY 
This  book  is  DUE  on  the  last  date  stamped  below 


DEC  1 1 1950 

1  1  RECO 


JUN*?41985 


PZ7 

H37jn    Hemyng  - 

—Jack  Harkaway 
strange  adventures 
at  Oxford. — 


DEC!  11950 
M  R   PKOCIT 


PZ7 
H37jn 


